Toyota’s small iQ to try capturing the BRIC small car markets

Mumbai: Toyota's plans for 2008 include testing the Russian car market with its iQ. That is not a brain test; it's the name of Toyota's latest 'small' concept car.

Slated to commence assembly of the car at its St. Petersburg plant during this year, the iQ marks Toyota's own version of a 'small-budget' model, a la Nano, if you may. Just that the indicative price range of the car is $7,000 to $10,000, if you call that 'budget'.

Toyota Motor Europe chief Tadashi Arashima was quoted by Russian daily Kommersant as saying that the plant will produce either the $7000-version of the iQ, or the one costing over $10,000, without indicating production volumes. September 2007 was the month when Toyota's plant at St. Petersburg started operations, and the month when the iQ was premiered at the Frankfurt car show. For now, the plant is making Toyota's sedan, the Camry.

The bold design of the iQ concept has been termed as 'revolutionary' by Toyota, as the "3+1-seating concept" can accommodate three adults, even though its length is 56 centimetres shorter than the Fiat 500. The iQ was designed for Japan and Europe, with seating for three adults and a child, comfortable under a sunroof.

In a statement to the press, Thierry Dombreval, Executive Vice-President of Toyota Motor Europe, said at the famous auto show that opened the same day, "We genuinely believe that no existing concept car or other vehicle matches its style, or many of its engineering attributes. In fact, we think its revolutionary package will have the same sort of impact on the market that Toyota hybrid technology introduced to the world of powertrains."

That statement, of course, was made before a certain Mr. Tata from India unveiled the 'Nano', which in a short span of three-odd days from its unveiling, has set tongues waggling all the way from India to Detroit, the main point of conversation being the cost of the entire car that equals the cost of a drive train of some American automobiles, or even the cost of an LCD system on board Toyota's Lexus, at approximately $2,500.
(Also see: Tata Motors' Nano likely to have on-road price of Rs115,000)

Glamgirlcars.com, a website for viewing the best cars for 'stylish girls and favourite celebrities' says the new Toyota IQ will hit the markets of such countries as Russia, Brazil and China. Conspicuous by its absence from the report, and from the speculated market in the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) block, is India, where over 70 per cent of the car market is 'small'. The post on the website advises that the iQ has many advantages for its owner, such as the ability to 'park it everywhere, easy to drive, 4 seats, consume less fuel', and 'won't pollute the environment'. The author foresees the iQ, along with other cars such as the Volkswagen Up! to become the preferred mode of urban transport in about a decade. At the Auto Expo '08 being held presently at New Delhi, one of Volkswagen's offerings showcased for a debut into India, was the Volkswagen Up!

Clearly, the future is rather 'small'. How small, remains to be seen.