Laugh so badly, when I saw this… (Toyota IQ)

[Beemer B773ER]

This will sell much better than the smart.

Smart car only has two seats, this has four. Perfect for women with children to do the school run then nipping to the shops

No no... that specific demographic opts for SUVs/4WDs. Totally opposite ends of the spectrum. This will be a daily-drive for the 55 year old man who's wife drives around in a Prius.... and of course also to the very young female market who want something hip but a tad bigger and mentally 'safer' than the Smart (and I'm guessing as a Scion it'll be cheaper than a Smart too).

It's pretty cute, it'll have the brand strength of Toyota, and be very easy to market for a wide variety of reasons (style, enviro-friendly, city-car, affordable in current economic times, etc). I agree with hoffmeister_fan, it's good to see Toyota stick it to Smart head-on!

the whole concept is a rip-off of the Smart

Typical European response... condescending of anything foreign. I gues the Passat CC is a rip-off the MB CLS? .... there's one big difference between the Smart and the Toyota iQ... the iQ is a much better implementation of the Smart concept. You say rip-off, an objective person says progression.

 

[Beemer B773ER]

Photos to compare:

 

[Monster]

Typical European response... condescending of anything foreign. I gues the Passat CC is a rip-off the MB CLS? .... there's one big difference between the Smart and the Toyota iQ... the iQ is a much better implementation of the Smart concept. You say rip-off, an objective person says progression.

I agree, the Smart pioneered some clever structural design in their car, however Toyota went one step further and in cooperate new compact design for existing mechanical components to maximize interior space of the iQ.

 

[MikeJ]

I really don't like the IQ. I find it ugly and largely pointless. If you need a four-seater, I can't imagine why you'd get one of these instead of the (cheaper) Aygo. Yes, it's got some clever ideas and since it has been winning comparisons I suppose the execution is not lacking either, but still... I find it unnecessarily complex for a small runabout.

 

[coolraoul]

Typical European response... condescending of anything foreign. I gues the Passat CC is a rip-off the MB CLS? .... there's one big difference between the Smart and the Toyota iQ... the iQ is a much better implementation of the Smart concept. You say rip-off, an objective person says progression.

Yes, in fact I find the smart didn't change enough for its 2nd gen. The first one was better, as it was 20cms shorter with very little space less than the current gen. smart should've innovate and fit a third seat to the smart.
They didn't, Toyota did it for them. They shouldn't complain if it steals their sales.

Compared to the Aygo, it much much shorter. What makes it more practical in cities.



The big big advantage of the smart was its 2.50m length, allowing it to park with the weels against the border. The new gen can do that too but not everywhere because of its increased length, the iQ can't do it. So the smart still has an edge in some cases, for others the iQ now makes more sense.

smart is however rumoured to work on a new forfour, this time based on the fortwo with increased length. Guess they're very interested by the iQ...

Oh BTW, the Passat CC indeed is a blatant rip-off of the CLS. It even has more MB styling cues than VW's...

 

[cawimmer430]

Haha, I see where you coming from, but I like how Toyota raised the ante against the Smart. Very in-your-face move from a company that tends to be more innocuous than confrontational. I get the sense that this segment will be hotly contested market segment. In California, I'm seeing more and more Smarts running about, at least 2 at my work's parking lot. I may have to go in and take the Smart (and the iQ, if we do get one in Scion guise) for a spin. Both cars have some space-efficient technologies that are rather intriguing.

I agree. Toyota has sought out a confrontation with Smart. It benefits the consumer because Smart will be forced to improve their product.

My problem is that Toyota couldn't have been more brazen and uncreative with coming up with a name. iQ - that name when compared to its direct rival, the Smart, you just can't help but feel that Toyota thought up a similar-themed name for competitions sake. The iQ might be a good car and better than the Smart but the whole process in which Toyota apparently came up with the name is....uncreative and almost impolite.

 

[cawimmer430]

Typical European response... condescending of anything foreign.

Europeans...yep, they're incredibly racist and protective! Fully agree here!!! Whenever I see an foreigner walking on my side of the sidewalk I step off it and unto the street! We're so condescending of anything foreign! Yep!

I gues the Passat CC is a rip-off the MB CLS? .... there's one big difference between the Smart and the Toyota iQ... the iQ is a much better implementation of the Smart concept. You say rip-off, an objective person says progression.

The iQ was inspired by the Smart and that's no secret. I don't care if Toyota does a better implementation of the Smart. It's that silly name "iQ" which is an even more direct rip-off of the Smart. Obviously Toyota declared war on the Smart by naming their product in similar fashion but given the lack of creativity at Toyota at coming up with interesting names you can't help but wonder...that's all.

 

[Tarek]

Cute little car..

 

[Yperion]

I actually really like it...

Me too , 1000 times better than Smart IMO...

 

[ree]

Me too , 1000 times better than Smart IMO...

I'm no big fan of this car category…well I also find that the Smart is not the best looking car…but still like it more then the IQ! Has much better proportions in my opinion…

 

[Merc1]

I've been saying this since this car debuted, Smart needs to re-think the execution of the Four-two. Everything I've read about it says the engine is too weak and the transmission is awful. The Toyota is more like a real car compared to the Smart and it will kill the Smart once it goes on sale here IMO. Between having the more useable car and a much larger dealer network I expect the Toyota to almost instantly outsell the Smart. Smart also needs to bring another vehicle to the market because you can't run a brand on one novelty item.

Yes, naming it IQ is a lame-arse come up for Toyota, but what else did you expect? They can't help it, but not since the original LS400 has a Mercedes product been so exposed by a Toyota IMO. Smart had better wake up fast and get to improving the Smart and quickly. Toyota even developed a rear-window airbag for this car. That name won't matter with engineering like that.


M

 

[klier]

Well shut my mouth - I thought I was on top of these things.

Toyota is sniping for the market currently occupied by Smart - I don't know if they'll succeed or not. The rumor mill has it that the iQ feels more like a "real car" than the smart. Not sure about that one, but I'm eager to find out.

MUCH more of a real car. It's pretty good looking, and drives pretty well (I drove one!!) It's full with high tech space saving technologies..

Me too , 1000 times better than Smart IMO...

+ 1

The iQ was inspired by the Smart and that's no secret. I don't care if Toyota does a better implementation of the Smart. It's that silly name "iQ" which is an even more direct rip-off of the Smart. Obviously Toyota declared war on the Smart by naming their product in similar fashion but given the lack of creativity at Toyota at coming up with interesting names you can't help but wonder...that's all.

I find nothing wrong with the name IQ because this car is VASTLY more intelligent, practical and pretty than a Smart ForTwo (You don't find that name utterly retarded too, btw???)

 

[rev]

IQ ραδικιού as we Greeks would say. I've seen a few IQ's in white and black (the car looks much better in white though) and I have to say it has a nice presence on the road. The only thing that bothers me is the disproportional width compared to length. Doesn't look that elegant.

 

[cawimmer430]

I find nothing wrong with the name IQ because this car is VASTLY more intelligent, practical and pretty than a Smart ForTwo (You don't find that name utterly retarded too, btw???)

I am not a shopper in this class. If I was I would rather have a better-looking and just as practical Fiat 500 over the Smart and iQ.

 

[coolraoul]

The Fiat 500 is pretty far from being as practical as the iQ. It's way way longer. Against the 500 Toyota has the Yaris.

I too like the name iQ. It's fun, and it's smart D). And it's true, the car is very clever.

As short as the original Mini despite all the safety and comfort requirements, and not too bad on the road, that has to be saluted.

I say, kudos to Toyota for the iQ. They teached smart a lesson, hope they learned it and will react soon.

 

[klier]

I am not a shopper in this class. If I was I would rather have a better-looking and just as practical Fiat 500 over the Smart and iQ.

So? You're not a shopper for the W212 E63 AMG either, but you do have an opinion That remark was redundant

 

[Giannis]

IMO in this class, styling does matter a lot, sometimes over sybstance. How many of those who drive a smart will park them with the wheels against the border? I've seen a Smart parked like that only once in my life!

The fact with the Smart is that it is original and everyone that things of the smallest and funkiest and i-don't-know-what, everyone thinks of the Smart first. Toyota should make something really groundbraking to remove all the hype that the Smart has, towards their advantage. I saw this car IRL at the local Toyota dealer yesterday, and I don't think it's good enough.

First of all, I don't like the design approach. The iQ looks like a small car and has almost no overhang. That's very dispropotionate and doesn't look good at all. On the other hand, the smart looks like a smart (no kidding...) and despite it's small length, it looks awesome! Interior is better looking IMO...

The driving characteristics are irrelevant in this class. No one is gonna use such a car for long trips or for sporty driving. They are for use in the city...

Anyway, to make long story short, I think that Smart has originality, which iQ hasn't. Smart looks cool, while iQ looks like a shrunken minivan. I don't think I would buy an iQ over a smart, only because it can carry 4 people. I'd get a 107/C1/Aygo instead, which is cheaper, better looking, and can carry 5 people + luggage. And it's not much bigger...

 

[coolraoul]

^^That is all quite true. The smart has more style, and it matters a lot in that segment. However, only two seats is a disadvantage, the perfect solution would be a 3m long smart with four seats! That would sell like hotcakes in big cities!

 

[Giannis]

^^That is all quite true. The smart has more style, and it matters a lot in that segment. However, only two seats is a disadvantage, the perfect solution would be a 3m long smart with four seats! That would sell like hotcakes in big cities!

You are very right, this is the best solution. 3m is adequate to carry 4 people in enough comfort for commute drives. Luggage space and usabillity are not asked for in this segment. People want a small car, that can easily park everywhere and that's all about it. Noone cares if it has a 60:40 split rear bench, or if it has 100 or 200l luggage space. Potential buyers care if it can park downtown.

Moreover, it must have efficient small engines and a descent gearbox. I have never driven the current smart, but from what I've heard the engines are underpowered and the gearbox is crap. Fuel economy is a key factor. My old Clio burns ~10l/100km in the city, and god-knows-what in the highway. A proper car must be under 60l/100km in the city, just like the Panda 1.2 which my fiance is driving right now (I miss her 206)