Toyota considering Indian plant for small car production
Click above for more high-res images of the Toyota iQ
Toyota has been working on an affordable small car that will be cost-competitive in emerging markets, and Autocar is reporting that India is being considered as a destination for production. India makes sense due to its low-cost labor, and with competitors like the Tata Nano going for as little as $2,500, the world's biggest automaker will need to cut cost everywhere it can. There is no word as to exactly what vehicle would be produced in India, but one option is Toyota's production iQ from Geneva, which is scheduled to begin production later in 2008. Toyota is looking for initial sales of the iQ to crest 100,000 units.
Gallery: 2009 Toyota iQ
[Source: Autocar via Winding Road]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
smalliq 9:09AM (4/29/2008)
isn't the name of this car inviting 'There goes that driver with the small IQ' comments?
Bad name in my opinion. :)
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SPG 9:21AM (4/29/2008)
That's awesome. I love it.
spw 9:17AM (4/29/2008)
once again, iQ is premium small car, more expensive than Yaris, with 17" wheels, navigation, HID's, etc.
Definetly wont be built for Indian market.
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SPG 9:21AM (4/29/2008)
With the wheels on the far corners of this car I can only imagine the tuner possibilites.
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Red 9:41AM (4/29/2008)
Why not let Daihatsu build it? That's why Toyota has them. I don't get why they wouldn't utilize them.
Soccer Mom 9:54AM (4/29/2008)
I hope gas hits $5.
Then we are going to have a bunch of nice-looking cars, like Smart, Up!, IQ. Presently, my only issue with them is the image that drives options offered - small car=crappy cheap car. I am waiting for the moment when small car=small car and nothing else. I'd like to see leather, nice audio, gps and other good things in cars size of Smart.
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Michael 2:33PM (4/29/2008)
$5? Energy analysts are predicting gasoline will be hitting 10 dollars by the end of 09. The price of a barrell in the beginning of 07 was $50, now its almost $120. With the dollar tanking, 10 dollar a gallon is not out of the question at all, expect 5.50 by the end of this summer.
Yes this will spur the growth of small cars, but man, working class people will be hit so hard, it is sad.
Gregg 10:02AM (4/29/2008)
This is going to knock the crap out of the smart, if Toyota prices it competitively. It will be just barely longer than a smart, yet offer passenger space for 3-4 in a pinch (literally) which smart cannot do. Plus, I doubt the Toyota will have as quirky a transmission as the smart, or require premium fuel as a smart does. The warranty will be longer as well.
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catgirlshyla 4:38PM (4/29/2008)
The Aygo looks better than this POS.
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