Toyota could release the iQ in U.S.

The new small city car from Toyota may see U.S. sales some day, according the company’s chief engineer, Hiroki Nakajima. As carmakers of all sizes slash large, inefficient vehicles from their U.S. lineups, Toyota is considering adding the highly efficient iQ to its offerings.

With fuel efficiency that beats every car in Toyota’s lineup except the Prius, the iQ’s non-hybrid system epitomizes inexpensive city transport. With relatively good room inside - seating for 3 adults plus one child - and overall length of just 117 inches, the car is small enough to find parking nearly anywhere.

Toyota manages to keep the car so small with several innovative technologies, including a drivetrain optimized for interior , a flat fuel tank under the seats, thin steel-framed passenger seats and a space-saving heating and cooling system. Despite it’s diminutive size, however, Toyota is targeting the iQ toward the higher end of the market, with a premium feel, rather than the econo-box pure-transport feel of cars like the Tata Nano, reports Automotive News.

Pricing for the iQ hasn’t been announced, and would likely have to be adjusted somewhat for U.S. sale, but Nakajima says it will be priced in the same range as the Yaris (or Vitz, as it’s known in its home market). That would put the iQ around $10,000 base price in Japan, and closer to $12,000 in the U.S. With fuel prices still on the rise and more people looking for an inexpensive daily driver, the iQ could be an attractive purchase for those not wanting a used car.

those little cars make me laugh because everytime i see them i think theres gonna be a whole bunch of clowns that are gonna come running out of the car lol

LOL yea true!

i agree
the interior is nice tho
the car itself looks weird

I dig it.

I'd buy it.