Toyota announced that the iQ -one of the greatest Smart competitors- will go on sale in Japan in November and hits European showrooms in January. USA is also under consideration: "From the early stages of development, we didn’t recognize that oil prices would be like this," he says. "Also, the Smart is very successful in the U.S. market."
The iQ is packed with engineering innovations to save space and has better handling and performance, says Nakajima. It weighs less than 2,200 pounds and boasts the best fuel efficiency of any gasoline-powered car in Toyota’s lineup, excluding the Prius.
For the European market, Toyota will also offer a 1.4-liter diesel powerplant. The car also will come with 1.3- and 1.0-liter gasoline engines.
Toyota hasn’t announced the iQ’s price, but it is expected to have the same price as the Yaris: $9,975.
The company hopes to sell around 100,000 vehicles a year.
Posted on
06.19.2008 @ 14:17