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For the IQ to succeed, it must muster two extraordinary feats for a car of its size. Firstly, it needs to be able to comfortably seat four people; otherwise it’s a waste of time and fails the purpose of the car. Secondly, it also needs to drive well, especially as it hasn’t been built like a regular city car thanks to its miniscule proportions.
But first, its styling. Often, with cars as small as the IQ, styling can be a bit of a challenge. There’s always the constant struggle between achieving tiny ergonomic dimensions as well as a memorable piece of design. Just take a peep at a Smart, it’s not the most attractive of city run-a-rounds.
Fortunately, the same can’t be said for the IQ. There’s a good mixture between some cute, city car characteristics as well as some really intriguing grown-up features. Worth a mention in particular, is the slim and low cut side windows, which gives the IQ a more sporty edge and some much needed road presence.
It’s also surprisingly wide, nothing particularly wrong with that, if anything it adds the IQ’s most impressive party piece, the drive.
It’s remarkably refined and by no means does it feel as small as it actually is. Toyota has engineered the IQ so that all four wheels are at the far reaches of each corner, which means both its road hold and comfort isn’t comprised because of its size.
There’s also a nice weighty feel to the steering, which is another great feat for the IQ. It’s light for trips into town and then gradually gets heavier as speeds increase. There’s always just the right amount of weight for every occasion, perfect.
The IQ’s one-litre engine gathers a measly 68bhp from its three cylinders; even so, it doesn’t feel as slow as the figures suggest. There’s even a great gearbox to match, which feels tight and notchy. More importantly, the IQ’s 5th gear is long ratio, which means motorway cruising isn’t accompanied by noisy, high revs.
As for the interior, there’s ample space, much more than you think especially in the front. It’s been designed specifically to do so. For instance, the seats are ‘ultra thin’, which allows passengers in the back to have more space. The space saving is so extreme, it doesn’t even have a glove box which means the passenger has more space for their legs.
So, can the IQ fit four people? To some extent, yes. It’s more than capable to fit three good size adults, thanks to the extra space given the front passenger. As for the fourth person, it is possible, but at a bit of a squeeze, even so, I managed it fine.
In general, the IQ’s achieved what it set out to do. It carries seating for four people, drives as well as a regular supermini and on the inside it fulfils Toyota’s claim of premium quality. It’s a genuinely good car.
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