Toyota iQ & Toyota Urban Cruiser at the Paris Motor Show
The tiny Toyota iQ and the rugged, mean looking Urban Cruiser are both being showcased in their final form at the October Paris Motor Show in final production trim.
The iQ is the world’s smallest premium four seater and has been described as the new mini, with a verve and a swagger that obliterates the aging smart cars.
The car also has the same presence and safety attributes of bigger cars and produces just a mere 99g/km of CO2.
The iQ will offer 360° protection to all occupants with high levels of active and passive safety as well as a revolutionary new safety feature in the form of the world’s first curtain shield airbags installed behind the rear seats.
Although the problem is highlighted during our test drive as David balks: “squeezing my 6-foot-3 frame behind the thick, sporty steering wheel of the 2009 Toyota iQ, I immediately notice just how spacious the cabin feels. Only when you’re standing outside the Toyota iQ do you realize how short it is, less than 10 feet long from the tip of the front bumper to the end of the back bumper.”
It will be powered by three-cylinder gasoline engine is the base unit, a four-cylinder micro-hybrid is the mid-range and a four-cylinder diesel tops the line.
Toyota is also proud to present the 1.4-litre D-4D diesel All Wheel Drive (AWD) Toyota Urban Cruiser.
It has a very masculine, rugged exterior design, high level of safety equipment and CO2 emissions level of only 133g/km for the AWD version which is very competitive for the soft 4×4’s of today and with its mix of fun, practicality and durability will be a huge development for the sector.
Written by Peter Charalambous on the 1 Sep 2008 in Car News, Toyota |