Being small certainly isn’t synonymous to being insignificant as proven by the Toyota iQ, which attracted a lot of attention at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Shown were two bold new designs that made everyone conclude that responsible, sub-100g/km motoring can be exciting as well.

The iQ, the world’s smallest four-seat production car, already gets plenty of attention due to its contemporary and compact styling. Now that Toyota is displaying how the iQ could be customized with street-cool body kits and vibrant interiors, it is bound to attract even more interest. The Toyota iQ Collection is focused mainly on the cabin. The body’s white pearl finish is seen as well on the trim details such as the center console, instrument binnacle and door panels. Continued after the jump!

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As we told in this post, Toyota is going to reveal at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show two customised iQ show cars (iQ for Sports and iQ Collection) and… here they are! Thanks to our sources we are able to offer you a glimpse of the upcoming vehicles that combine the fun driving with a low fuel consumption.

Ok, so the iQ Sports is actually a rebadged Scion iQ Concept, which was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show and comes with a custom body work, new 18-inch rims and a stylish trapezoidal exhaust. The other model dubbed iQ Collection offers a new interior with pearl leather upholstery which makes the car unique. Unfortunately we don’t have any technical data or more words about these new cars, but you can see them in the photos after the jump in order to make yourself an idea about the cars!

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Toyota’s first all-electric car, internally called the Battery Electric Vehicle or BEV, will soon be launched in 2010. Although the BEV is based on the iQ, it will not be in the same market sector. In fact, the BEV is getting its own bodywork to create a stand-alone model. Hiroki Nakajima, iQ’s chief engineer, said that the BEV will not be positioned as premium.

He also said that the electric iQ will use in-wheel motors and was designed with this in mind. The BEV will be the first mass-production Toyota to use lithium ion batteries, following a trial of the technology on plug-in Priuses later this year. Charging time for the BEV is around 8 hours, allowing a range of 150km (93 miles). Meanwhile, the iQ cabin will get a much-needed upgrade after being criticized for the quality of its materials with buyers calling it as “too plasticky.” Nakajima said that the iQ will get a “much better interior.” Customization packages for the iQ will also be introduced in the style of the Fiat 500 and the Mini. No dates were given for when the changes would be implemented but it is believed to coincide with a facelift due in 2011.

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Tags:car news, toyota iq, toyota iq electric, toyota iq srs, toyota news
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The Japanese carmaker Toyota is extending the range of the mini for the very first time since the iQ was released with a new 1.33-liter gasoline powerplant that we previewed at the Geneva Motor Show.

Coming with a Dual VVT-I control of both intake and exhaust valves, the four-cylinder unit generates 100hp maximum power output attained at 6000rpm and top torque of 125Nm attained at 4,400rpm enough to propel the iQ3 from 0-62mph (100km/h) in 11.8 seconds when equipped with the standard 6-speed manual gearbox. This is lowered to 11.6 seconds when the car is equipped with the optional Multidrive CVT transmission. The car reaches a maximum speed of 106mph (171km/h). More details and photos after the jump!

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This coming March during the Geneva Motor Show, Toyota will be showcasing its new variant of the iQ which is powered by a 1.3-liter gasoline engine with 4-cylinders. The present iQ comes with a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine shared by the Aygo and is capable of 67hp (50kW) and a vigorous 55mpg US (4.27 liters/100km).

The latest Toyota 1.3 powerplant will come with VVT-i and 99hp (75kW) in addition to a fuel-saving stop-start technology. Although power is bumped the car is expected to come up with a better fuel consumption in the neighborhood of 59mpg, or 4.0 liters/100km. The engine was announced by Toyota in the later part of 2008. The current model supports the 1.4-liter D4-D diesel unit that is at present the most potent powerplant in the iQ range at 90hp (67kW). All the iQ powerplants are compatible with either an optional CVT or a regular 5-speed manual. Photo gallery after the jump!

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Although the Toyota iQ is one of the most highly efficient vehicles on sale today it has, however, lately proven that it can break its own official mile-per-gallon rating.

With two of the team from iQ blog behind the wheel, a regular iQ2 that comes with a 1.0-liter VVT-I gasoline powerplant went beyond 500 miles on just one full tank through some of the most overcrowded streets of the south and midlands of England and Wales. Starting from Brighton on January 25, the team passed through 18 cities in a couple of days with bad weather and rush hour traffic to contend with, apprehensions were high that the target cannot be achieved considering that the expected range of a 32-liter fuel tank in an iQ is about 462 miles. However, in spite of conditions where employing the heater, headlamps and wipers were necessary, and all contributing to drain on the fuel, it managed to reach 504.2 miles with 71.6mpg in contrast to the official rate of 65.7mpg.

Tags:car news, toyota iq hypermilling challenge, toyota iq hypermilling challenge details, toyota iq hypermilling challenge news, toyota news
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The radical Toyota iQ, the planet’s smallest four-passenger car, has garnered the 2008 Japan Car of the Year award by a total victory over competitors such as the Citroën C5, Audi A4 and Jaguar XF. The ground-breaking iQ rated higher than double the points of the second placer, receiving the highest marks from 39 of the 65 judges who voted.

The board of judges hailed the iQ for its space economy and unique design, especially the iQ’s capacity for accommodating four people within a body that is less than three meters long, in addition to its combination of excellent safety levels and low CO2 discharges. However, this amazing result will not be replicated in the 2008 European Car of the Year. The reason is that sales in Europe begin only in January 2009, which is already way past the cut-off for the European COTY for 2008. Details and photo gallery after the jump!

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Toyota, one of the biggest car manufacturer, announced today the development of the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) rear window curtain shield airbag, a new safety method that protects the heads of the rear passengers in case of a rear-end collision.

So how does this work? When needed, the new system deploys from roof lining above the rear window like a curtain barrier, and together with the headrests it minimizes the impact to the head helping to reduce the injuries. The new system will debut on the new Toyota iQ, an ultra-compact four-seater that will be launched soon! Photo gallery after the jump!

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Tags:car, car news, cars, Toyota, toyota iq srs, toyota srs, toyota supplemental restrain system
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