2007 Toyota iQ Concept
September's Frankfurt auto show was filled with innovative concepts and some equally stimulating production cars, especially enjoyable for a car enthusiast more attuned to our comparatively staid
North American industry-wide lineup of domestic and imported vehicles. Stars of the show were from segments not even represented until this 2008 model year, particularly the microcar class with the smart fortwo leading the way. And while the new fortwo was shown in a really cool nightclub-like display with body parts in every hue imaginable hanging in long rows as if they were the latest designer fashions in a haute couture shop, the car is simply old news in Europe and therefore didn't create much media buzz. C'est la vie, smart.
The buzzmeister in Germany was one of the untouchables we hope to eventually get here, Fiat's 500. It proved later to be the show's European Car of the Year, and during the Frankfurt event made an even bigger splash than it would have otherwise thanks to a massive replica of the retro-themed vehicle
taking show-goers on an integrated amusement ride. VW's up! concept was a giant hit too, with most media types voting it amongst the best prototypes of the show.
A car in this class that received less media attention than either the 500 or up! but deserves a heck of a lot more than it got is Toyota's petite iQ concept, adding the modern flair of the Japanese brand's Vibrant Clarity design language to the tried and true monobox packaging format most in this category embrace. And while Toyota didn't create a monster version for people to drive through, the car did rest in front of one of the most innovative backdrops of the show, a double screen of seriously '60s-style psychedelic images and colors that constantly changed, never to repeat themselves ... ideal
for photos (check the gallery for a number of multi-colored samples).
The iQ is all organically formed curves and creases, seeming as if it was sculpted out of a single block of clay. OK, this last point might be accurate, but if you look past this obvious reality I think you'll appreciate my sentiment. After all, the car is devoid of a grille or any air ducts other than a single, horizontal vent at the base of the front fascia. The V-shape of the upper fascia (where the grille would normally be) is similar to production Toyotas, and the angular headlight clusters are also somewhat akin to the lively little Yaris hatchback. A swept line just above the rockers applies a feeling of movement to the design, and gives life to what would otherwise be a
rather slab-sided profile if it wasn't for a set of dagger-shaped door handles.
The rear end design, particularly from the three-quarter view is extremely innovative, and incorporates a curvaceous quarter window that forms into an upside-down teardrop upon meeting up with the taillights, which follow the rear fender line right down to the base of the rear valance. A small rear hatch that uses the Toyota logo as its release latch (a la VW) sits above a single exhaust port, finishing off a truly attractive little microcar.
It's just as enticing inside too. Actually, this might be one of the most interesting dashboards to come along in years, with a freeform shelf that curves overtop the speedometer,
a single dial in classic analog style framed by a snakeskin-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel no less, before it bends up and then downward as if it was poured across an invisible sand dune. The entire structure is held up by an aluminum prop that also supports what appears to be a sharp-edged square of glass, really a digital head-up-display for the navigation system at its topmost point, and underneath the curvaceous piece folds down into a waterfall of aluminum, a center “stack” filled with an abbreviated assortment of controls. It's a minimalist's dream, and one that adheres to modern expressionistic furnishings and deep purple ... not the band, the color. Toyota says this center console was inspired by a manta ray (yes, the fish, not the'65 Corvette concept), so I suppose it all makes sense now. Well, at
least things become clear when looking overhead through the panoramic glass roof. As weird as it is, I quite like it ... and what does that say about me? I suppose I like how it's all finished in high-quality materials and purple has long been a favorite color, plus so many small car interiors are just plain boring. The microcar benchmark has been set with the smart fortwo already, mind you, so I would think any automaker that got serious about competing would come up with something unique in design and filled with higher than average quality materials.
If Toyota decides to build its little iQ the interior and outrageously large (for the size of vehicle) 17-inch wheels would probably get the cut, although it would become the smallest vehicle the Japanese brand had ever produced at less
than 3.3 yards in length – 117.3 inches. Still, it will be larger than smart's fortwo, not difficult, but smaller than almost anything else on the road. It's 27.6 inches shorter than a Mini, 29.5 inches shorter than a Yaris hatchback, and even 16.7 inches shorter than the Toyota Aygo, a tiny little sub-B-segment hatchback that Toyota sells in Europe. Just the same, at 66.1 inches from side to side the iQ is about as wide as the Yaris, and what's more at 58.3 inches tall it shares approximately the same height with Toyota's smallest North American offering, which makes its cabin fairly roomy and airy for three passengers. The layout is similar to the Fiat Trepiuno concept shown several years back, which featured room for three adults and a child, or three adults and added space for luggage.
Lastly,
what is the iQ powered by and what might a production variant get stuffed into its tiny engine bay. Just that, a tiny engine, although Toyota was forthright with any information about exactly what that engine might be. Whatever the automaker would choose, it'd no doubt be efficient, or possibly a hybrid or full electric alternative is in the cards.
One thing that's certain is that Toyota is serious about the iQ, and according to those on the inside, would like to have a vehicle in this class on the world's roads before the end of the decade. After spending time with the little smart on a number of occasions and most recently during the launch of the 2008 model in San Jose, I certainly would welcome another microcar in the North American market. Finger's crossed, here's to one of the world's biggest automakers getting small.