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Inside, the iQ is a clever car that showcases Japanese ingenuity to the core. The positioning of the engine and the design of the instrument console allowed the designers to mount the front passenger seat ahead of the driver’s seat — thereby leveraging enough room to accommodate a six-foot tall adult in the rear bench. This makes it a genuine three-seater (four, if the fourth passenger is not another basketball team-mate). The V-shaped central console houses aircon controls (either manual or automatic) and Toyota has lavished leather on select models underlining the fact that this is no cut-price car. Instrumentation is comprehensive too. There is not much room for luggage unless you are ready to fold the rear seat back down — that move unleashes enough room for two suitcases. In short, this car has enough space for people and luggage in the urban scheme of things (read school, supermarket, golf, airport runs).
In Japan, the iQ gets two engine options featuring variable valve timing — a 93 bhp 1.3-litre and a 67 bhp 1.0-litre motor. I sampled only the automatic model which uses the Super CVT-i transmission. This continuously variable transmission offers a good spread of torque without taking away the agility that makes the iQ an absolute point-and-shoot device. Scurrying away from signals (there were many at the Mega Web track!) is what the iQ is all about and never does it make you feel that you are driving an “ultra mini.”There is so much leg, elbow and head room that you are fooled into believing that you are driving something much larger — a grown-up hatch or even a small sedan. Aiding this feeling is brilliant ride quality despite the near-square footprint of the car. The car handled the cobble-stone patches with aplomb too. Despite the wide track, the narrow wheelbase will ensure that you get the judders if you hit a large speedbreaker in a hurry though. No amount of aggressive driving can get the iQ’s tail out of shape — because there is no tail to wag!
The electric power steering lacks feel and it is natural for one to steer out of situations as if you are driving something bigger and hence allow for more space than that is required. But, such is its agility that once you get the hang of things, the little iQ transforms into a motorcycle. What makes the iQ different from say the Tata Nano, is the kind of safety engineering that is built into it. A grand total of ten airbags including the driver’s, twin-chamber for the front passenger, front passenger seat cushion, driver’s knee, curtain shields and a rear window bag ensure that though you opted for a small car you have not opted out of the safety net. ABS, EBD, brake assist, vehicle stability control cum traction control and a host of active safety features borrowed from mainstream Toyota and Lexus models make this machine totally idiot-proof, if expensive to buy, at around Rs 7 lakh on-road in the UK. Yup, you can get 14 or 15 Nanos for the imported price of one technologically advanced small car, indeed.
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