iQ eQ (EV)

STORY

Toyota announced the production iQ in Europe before its home market and started Japanese sales on 20 November 2008, a 2,985 mm long car on a 2,000 mm wheelbase that undercut a kei car by roughly 400 mm yet took four people in a three-plus-one layout, one adult behind the front passenger and a child or a parcel behind the driver. The 996 cc 1KR-FE three-cylinder built by Daihatsu gave 50 kW (68 PS) through a Super CVT-i, and in August 2009 a 1,329 cc 1NR-FE of 94 PS in Japanese tune joined the range; a six-speed manual came only in November 2010. Takaoka built every car. The iQ took the 2008-2009 Car of the Year Japan award, and Scion sold it in North America, reaching west coast dealers from October 2011 and the rest of the country early in 2012. No second generation followed.