2009 Toyota iQ spy photos
25 Jun, 2008
28 Comments 
We first saw the Concept Car iQ at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show and were somewhat confused as to what Toyota was actually thinking. Nonetheless the Toyota iQ will go into production later this year. So it’s no surprise them to find it out and about being tested.
Toyota plans to complete with the Smart fortwo and take a chunk of the compact urban transportation market share.
However unlike the fortwo, the iQ has the capability to seat up to three passengers - and it’s less than three metres in length. Plus you can still fit a child or luggage.
Toyota has spent considerable engineering hours working this on out, but the company believes it will be a success and hailed as a breakthrough in space innovation.
You can read more on the iQ here. More photos can be found here.
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June 25th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
I wouldn’t be happy putting my child in that thing.
Still this is the sort of thing required for all those 1 person per car daily commutes.
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June 25th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
certainly looks alot better then the smart, and will probably be a much better solution to small urban cars then the fortwo, but i still tend to think a yaris would be a much better buy then one of these
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June 25th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
is there any segment that toyota isnt in? oh wait sports cars
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June 25th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
What price economy?
Rather catch a bus.
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June 25th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
5 star ANCAP for sure!
Crumple zones?
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June 25th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Nothing from the Toyota stable has excited me for years, but I have to admit that this could be the car for the times we live in.
It’s not butt-ugly like a Camry. Check.
Small Engine, economical? Need to double check.
Easy to drive & park in Australia’s congested cities. Check.
Priced just over $10k… cheque!
Any idea on pricing yet CarAdvice?
The Smart would be a winner if it was targeted better in price. Toyota has an opportunity to establish and dominate this new market segment in Australia… if they don’t get too greedy.
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June 25th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
I think its very ugly and certainly not as handsome as the Smart. At least it doesnt look tediously boring in the same way all the other Toyotas do and hopefully theyll sell it in more places than Japan for once! Id prefer a Smart because at least they have status and they are the original city car I think. I hate that sort of muscley look that Toyotas have right now. Especially the Aurion and Kluger. And by the way CarAdvice - I hate to say it but im starting to agree with that that guy that keeps commenting on your spelling and grammar. Is it really that hard to quickly read over the things you write?
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June 25th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
So is the third seating like a reverse Mclaren F1?
If so I guess the whole car is a reverse of the Mclaren F1.
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June 25th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God……
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!
Please God,
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!
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June 25th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
cant wait to see the TRD edition….!!!
Now Millatimes comments might seem more appropriate.
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June 25th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Looks funky. Guaranteed to be a big seller, like most Toyota’s. Wonder how it will impact on Diahatsu which Toyota holds a 52% stake.
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June 25th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
True, does look rather funky. Gotta give it to Toyota, they have the market covered with everything ranging from the 1.0 3 cyl IQ to the big donk 5.7 V8 Tundra.
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June 25th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
If you are poor you will end up with this rubbish, and only to be killed instantly in the first car park collision.
You are the crumple zone. You are the air bag. You are the deformable structure.
As consumers we should not be so obsessed with poverty, and how to avoid it, so focused on lack, that we end up immersed in it, as the only way forward.
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June 25th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Luke T. Says:
June 25th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
“True, does look rather funky”
Luke, almost right, just drop the “n”
Safety (or lack of it) will be the big issue on any road with a speed limit over 40 km/h.
Just imagine one of Luke’s (not available in Australia) 5.7 V8 Tundra dinosaurs up th r’s of this - the front seat ocupants wouldn’t survive, whilst rear seat passemgers would be jam.
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June 25th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Not sure it would get to Aus, this looks like another kei car for the JDM. Or perhaps Europe.
As far as safety goes, if every soccer mum didn’t drive a 4WD, we’d probably all be a bit safer. I’d like to see a study done on 4WD drivers who don’t look and plough into smaller cars on the road.
I like small cars: easy to park, easy to drive, no complexity. Small cars take up less room in traffic and you can see around them. Simple is good.
Plus Toyota is rather good when all they have to do is focus on making a piece of metal with 4 wheels and a steering wheel.
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June 25th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Agree with some of the comments here, Toyota is really aiming for the market share here, It will be a great city car like the smart, if economy stacks up but thats where I’ll leave it, any higher speed travelling, your safety just goes down to the pits.
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June 25th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Toyota iQ…is that a question or a statement? pfffffffffffttttttt.
Ugly either way!
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June 25th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Hello Missile - were yah been dude. Watched TG series 11 on BBC iPlayer yet.
This little iQ thing looks tiny. I’m amazed the Toyota are producing so many small cars, iQ, Aygo, Yaris. Surely the markets not that big for 3 similarly sized cars.
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June 25th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
I can definitely say that most of those engineering hours are spent on meeting safety regulations. Its a huge process now in Toyota and Im sure all manufacturers.
It wont be released without “matching” atleast the Yaris in terms of safety performance.
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June 26th, 2008 at 1:36 am
All this talk about whether cars like this make sense in the Australian market…. I think you’re missing the point.
The Chinese car market GREW by 2 million last year - thats twice Australia’s TOTAL annual sales.
There are bugger all Toyota Tundras, Hummers, 4WD soccer mum’s in places like China. In a road world comprising small buzzboxes - this car is as safe as any.
And the single child policy has assured that seating for 3 is just fine thanks very much.
Until $150-$250 oil takes its toll on our vehicle mix (and car buyers expectations), we will be stuck witnessing increasing numbers of new vehicle development that just don’t make sense in Oz. But give it time, big and heavy will become rarer and the roads will become safer for sub tonne cars to tread.
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June 26th, 2008 at 1:50 am
Imagine if cars had to pay a fee to enter city limits, the fee outrageoulsy high if you want to enter in a big, heavy, high capacity engine vehicle (think London congestion charge gone ferral).
Voila - “safe-zone” for city dwelling, upwardly mobile, single/no child families to go buy loads of these units.
Hmm… where do those “city limits” begin/end?
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June 26th, 2008 at 6:44 am
$10k they will sell boatloads of them
The way the price of fuel is, parking and traffic, its what is required.
Good to see BIGT is copying…..AGAIN! :-)
Cheers
F-O
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June 26th, 2008 at 9:24 am
…and a 3 seater too. I wonder if they could configure as a bech seat and run it on lpg?
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June 26th, 2008 at 10:14 am
FO - is it coping or moving with the times ??
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June 26th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
toyota IQ…is that an Oxy-moron?
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June 26th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
I wonder it will cost the same as the ridicolously priced Smart ForTwo starting at $19,990?
Though I’d dought it because a Toyota Yaris YR 3 door starts at $15,190.
^But on the other hand the iQ may cost more to make due to different size and the price for a strong crumple zone for a small car. But I bet it will be cheaper than the Smart.
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June 26th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
I’m sure it will sell well, and there’s actually many innovations in this car if you read UK’s magazines. Also from UK’s publication, this car will not be a cheap run about, it’s more aimed at urban trendy type, like the Smart. They have Aygo in Europe for cheap ecobox, this one is meant to be more stylish and funky. Although probably not suitable for Australia’s open road, i have no doubt it will be a huge success in Europe and Asia. If you live in a crowded city, and you are single with no family to lug around, this would be the perfect car to have.
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October 7th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
As the owner of a scion xA I really like this tiny car!
I do like the Smart, but the fortwo FAILS miserably in
a) price
b) size v. mileage
The Smart gets TERRIBLE mileage for such a tiny car.
The iQ is said to get 50mpg or something? if correct its iQ ftw!!
I would love to have one of these for commuting and general driving. depending on comfort, I’d take it on a long trip too, to save money on gas.
It would be great if more people would drive small cars (not nec. this small) instead of HUGE SUVs and TRUCKS then those worried about getting smashed in an accident wouldn’t be so afraid if almost every other car on the road was also small.
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