Toyota reportedly prepping hybrid version of new iQ mini

Sep 2nd 2008 at 9:29AM

Toyota is expected to debut the final production version of its iQ super-min next month at the Paris Motor Show, one year after showing the original concept at Frankfurt. The production iQ is expected to get a 1.0L gas engine to move it along but the powerplant range is expected to grow with a hybrid model. Britain's AutoExpress got a preview drive of the 1.0L version recently but their prognostications tend to be a mixed bag (Edmunds liked it). While a hybrid version of the iQ is almost a certainty at some point given that Toyota has publicly stated its intent to offer hybrid versions of every model they build, AutoExpress is reporting that a 500cc plug-in hybrid iQ will debut in 2010. This seems like a very aggressive target given Toyota's stance on lithium ion batteries. A more likely scenario is some fleet testing of a plug-in iQ around the turn of the decade with a retail launch sometime after that.