The much lauded IQ, spotted on the island of Santorini. This is Toyota's answer to the Smart Car, but with an amazing interior space trick — it's a four-seater! Barely longer than the Smart — at just under three meters — it manages to accommodate twice as many people, using a front-mounted engine and very clever packaging. These cars have only just launched in Europe, and it's already made it to this tiny Greek island.
The Japanese have had many decades of experience in tiny car design; the so called "Kei Car" category is a special designation of automobile that qualifies for reduced tax and insurance rates in Japan, based on a limited length and engine size. Most these are too tight and underpowered for export markets, but a new breed of similar sized vehicles with more creature comforts and beefier engines are poised to invade European and American shores. The Toyota IQ is the first of these, and is garnering rave reviews.
I'm not a big fan of that strange "S"-shaped rear side glass but the rest of the car has a clean, powerful stance. It looks more brutish, and sturdier than a Smart, but the overall profile is not nearly as well-resolved: the engine in the front necessitates a protruding, pug-nosed, bulldog face. A more powerful engine is being offered later in the year, maybe finally making it suitable for American delivery?
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