Toyota iQ 2 review

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Toyota iQ 1.0 VVT-i 2 Road Test

Test date 11 February 2009 Price as tested £11,300

For Space efficiency, sub-100g/km emissions, refinement

Against Price, laughable boot, relatively wide for town use

Genuinely mould-breaking cars are an increasingly scarce commodity these days; few dare to be different any more. Cue the new Toyota iQ. Can it succeed where the brilliant but flawed Smart ForTwo has failed, and appeal to a mainstream audience?

The concept behind the iQ is simple to express, but it must have been brain-meltingly difficult to realise: a city car that is shorter than an original Mini and will out-turn a London taxi, yet one that will seat four, offer first-class safety and cruise in comfort on the motorway, while emitting so little CO2 that your tax disc is free.

But that, apparently, is what Toyota has achieved. It sees the iQ as an entirely different product selling to an entirely different customer; it’s for people who want a small car, not those who need a cheap one. The clue is in the price: even the entry-level iQ costs £9295, which is more than you pay for some Yarises. Granted, the base spec is good, but by the time you splash out almost an extra grand for the iQ2 version and add leather and navigation to reach the spec of our test car, you’re looking at a bill for nearly £12,000.