Top award for world’s smallest four seater
Although not on sale in Europe until January 6th next year the amazing new Toyota iQ has already won the 2008 Japanese Car of the Year award – very soundly beating the Citroen C5, Audi A4 and Jaguar XF. The iQ scored more than double the points of its nearest rival and got top marks from 39 of the 65 judges.
Clearly aimed at outsmarting the Smart, the new iQ has six major packaging innovations:-
The differential has been moved to the front side of the engine, which is itself canted forward. This has the effect of moving the wheels forward and with them the driver’s feet by nearly 5 in.
A new steering rack is mounted high on the firewall. To accommodate this, an all-new wiper motor and mechanism had to be built.
The fuel tank is a flat, book-thin reservoir under the rear passengers’ feet.
The climate-control unit has been made more compact (though not de-powered) and its blower moved from ahead of the passenger to above the unit. This allowed an asymmetric dash to be created, which lets the front passenger slide forward and donate more space to the one behind.
The seatbacks have a strong perimeter frame but ultrathin centres, creating more rear-seat knee room.
Repositioning the engine ancillaries around the suspension allows a turning radius of just 154 in.
All this was expensive, requiring numerous new components in place of the usual generics: differential, fuel pump and sender, wiper system, HVAC, seats, and door and window systems. It perhaps explains why it hasn’t been done before and why Toyota will need to defray the commodity costs across several high-volume lines of cars. It is expected that the iQ will be a major player in the leisure car leasing market.
November 19, 2008 at 11:00 pm | Car Leasing News, Toyota | No comment
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Bias for the Prius
Do-gooding celebrity hybrid favourite, the Toyota Prius, has come out top of a customer satisfaction survey recently conducted in the US.
Of all customers surveyed who own or lease a Toyota Prius, 92 per cent of them said they would not hesitate to buy or lease a Prius again.
But, let’s face it, they’re driving around in these things to present a “look at me, I care, aren’t I lovely” type image, so they’re not exactly likely to be the complaining type, on record. When they get home and crank up the Hummer to go off shooting deer in the face, they’re probably less likely to smile and praise the ugly bore that is the Prius.
June 3, 2008 at 6:32 pm | Toyota | No comment
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Toyota Corolla Verso 1.6 VVTi T2 5dr
Our Price: £209 per month (contract)
Vehicle Description
Body Style MPV MIN
Transmission MANUAL
No of Doors 5
Engine CC 1598
Fuel UNLEADED
Combined (mpg) 37.7
Insurance Group 5
CO2 Emissions (g/km) 178
P11d Value £13,827.00
Vehicle Specification
Specification Includes
Remote Central Locking
Engine Immobiliser
Marotex Fleck Upholstery
Passenger Airbag
Rear Head Rests
Seat Memory – Drivers
Split Folding Rear Seat
Tilt Steering Column
High Level Brake Light
Outside Temperature Gauge
AM/FM Radio with 24 preset settings
Anti Lock Brakes
Airbag – Driver Knee
Electric Mirrors
CD Player
Curtain Airbags
Power Assisted Steering
Driver + Passenger Lateral Airbags
3 Year / 60000 Mile Warranty
Driver Airbag
Driver Seat Height Adjust
Electric Front Windows
Air Conditioning
February 15, 2007 at 5:10 pm | Toyota | No comment
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