http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/ Autoblog Comments for Geneva '08 Preview: Production Toyota iQ, Urban Cruiser revealed http://www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/Feb 13th 2008 9:42AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/I own a smart fortwo, and am quite happy to see other manufacturers join in with their own micro car. I was hoping Toyota would come out with this, and hoping also that VW will see its "UP" through as well. Maybe even a BMW/Isetta will come back too.
Hooray!]]>Feb 13th 2008 9:45AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/
yay for being Capt. Obvious. =D]]>Feb 13th 2008 9:49AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/Feb 13th 2008 9:52AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/
Frankly, I wish Japanese auto makers could (or would) import kei cars to the US. Some of those little buggers are kick ass. I drove a Honda Beat and a Suzuki Cappuccino when I was living in Japan and they were great cars.

For those that don't know:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Beat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_Cappuccino]]>Feb 13th 2008 9:58AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/
Personally, I think they'd make a great choice as urban runabouts. Most people don't use more than 60hp anyways, and there's a certain simplicity (no expensive injection or emissions system like a diesel would have, no hybrid drive) to them that many would find appealing.

I'd certainly buy one, if for no other reason than it'd be good to have during the one-third of the year the bicycling doesn't work. ]]>Feb 13th 2008 10:06AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/Feb 13th 2008 12:14PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/Feb 13th 2008 10:06AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/Feb 13th 2008 4:12PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/Feb 13th 2008 10:13AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/
The Urban Cruiser is a nice replacement for the RAV4 which moved up into Highlander territory when the Highlander went all bloated and 7-passenger on us. And at least it has no pretense of being an off-roader. Strictly for the urban jungle.]]>Feb 13th 2008 10:24AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/Feb 13th 2008 10:27AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/Feb 13th 2008 10:31AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/I usually am in the camp that thinks anything designed by Toyota has the flair of a kumquat, but the Yaris and this little iQ are definitely appealing for the market they serve, and a nice alternative to the fortwo.

You won't ever see me in one of these things, but for what it is, it seems a homerun.]]>Feb 13th 2008 10:47AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/
That said, I'm still REALLY hoping this comes to The States. I've got a smart on order, but in honesty, I'm not convinced there isn't better. From potentially better mpg, to the brilliance of occasional seating for 3, the iQ seems to be a very cool car. I'd buy one as long as it doesn't look any more wilted when they produce it.]]>Feb 13th 2008 10:52AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/Feb 13th 2008 12:14PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/
That said, I agree that these vehicles would have no place on the highway. Besides being underpowered their light weight and small tires are a safety hazard. The tiny tires on that car are spinning much faster @70mph than the tires of a Malibu or Camry at the same speed. They also have laughable grip on the road and at those speeds imperfections in the surface can compromise traction. When you get into rural highways were you need to accelerate to pass cars, these little guys are even more dangerous. Any kind of bad weather and they'll be completely useless as well.]]>Feb 13th 2008 11:16AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/13/geneva-08-preview-production-toyota-iq-urban-cruiser-revealed/
“…I agree that these vehicles would have no place on the highway. Besides being underpowered their light weight and small tires are a safety hazard. The tiny tires on that car are spinning much faster @70mph than the tires of a Malibu or Camry at the same speed. They also have laughable grip on the road and at those speeds imperfections in the surface can compromise traction. When you get into rural highways were you need to accelerate to pass cars, these little guys are even more dangerous. Any kind of bad weather and they'll be completely useless as well.”

Small tires a safety hazard? Laughable grip on the road? Completely useless in bad weather? I would beg to differ based upon my time with a friend’s well-used Mini 1000 (not much different in size to your average kei-car) in Great Britain a number of years ago while following the RAC Rally as a spectator. Agreed that it was pretty slow in a straight line, but even with 4 good-sized guys inside, it had no trouble exceeding the 70 mph motorway speed limit there (and yes, there was plenty of bad weather). By any performance criteria you choose (excepting straight line acceleration, of course), that little Mini and its 10-inch wheels and 145SRx10 Dunlops would’ve blown any stock Malibu or Camry into the weeds. After that vacation, it was easy to see how the Mini (in Cooper guise) won so many rallies in the mid-‘60s.

Not everyone needs (or wants) an rolling road sofa for a vehicle.
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