59 MPG Toyota iQ Diesel Available in Europe

Posted on October 13, 2008  Comments (8)

image of seating in the toyota iQ

59 MPG Toyota iQ On Sale In Europe, US Plans Unclear

With lower carbon dioxide emissions than the Prius — around 159 grams of CO2 emitted per mile by the 1.0 liter gas engine and 166 g/mile for the diesel version — not only does the iQ deliver on fuel economy, but its straight-up conventional engine is a pollution winner too.

At just about 9.8 feet long, 5.5 feet wide and 4.9 feet tall, Toyota certainly has pulled of a near engineering miracle with the amount of stuff they’ve crammed into this tiny vehicle. Toyota claims the iQ can fit 3 adults and 1 child “comfortably.”

Toyota expects to sell about 80,000 of them a year in Europe.

I own some Toyota stock (and bought a bit more recently) based on their excellent management and production system and the results they have achieved (so I pay attention to what they are doing – plus I own them because they do things I see as wise so it is a self reinforcing dynamic). Business week recently wrote about Ford’s 65 mpg Diesel Car the U.S. Can’t Have.

I owned Ford stock back when they were adopting Deming based management principles but when they dropped those to pursue short sighted goals and poor management practices I sold and bought Toyota (turned out to be a very wise decision – my mistake was holding Ford too long hoping they would realize their mistake).

Related: Toyota Engineering Development ProcessToyota Cultivating Engineering TalentToyota Winglet, Personal TransportationToyota iUnitToyota iQ media kit (lots of details)

8 Responses to “59 MPG Toyota iQ Diesel Available in Europe”

  1. Corey Chambers
    October 28th, 2008 @ 1:31 pm

    The Toyota iQ is a great example of using technology to improve economy. One of the most important processes in creating a car like the Toyota iQ is discovering how the weight and material can be reduced. More than ever, engineers rely on optimization CAE software to accomplish this. With topology optimization software, the engineer can import a design model of a part or car component, then the software will analyze the stress points to determine what areas of the structure can be omitted or reinforced. A typical result is that a box or other fully enclosed structure will have many unneeded areas where holes can be made to reduce material and weight. Reducing weight this way creates a virtuous cycle allowing the size and weight of many components of the vehicle to be reduced. This overall size and weight reduction is the primary factor in increasing gas mileage of the Toyota iQ to 59 MPG. Corey Chambers, NEi Software

  2. Peter
    January 12th, 2009 @ 6:54 am

    Shame the diesel isn’t available in the UK,

    Peter

  3. Anonymous
    January 31st, 2009 @ 10:01 pm

    The Toyota iQ is a great example of using technology to improve economy. One of the most important processes in creating a car like the Toyota iQ is discovering how the weight and material can be reduced. More than ever, engineers rely on optimization CAE software to accomplish this. With topology optimization software, the engineer can import a design model of a part or car component, then the software will analyze the stress points to determine what areas of the structure can be omitted or reinforced. A typical result is that a box or other fully enclosed structure will have many unneeded areas where holes can be made to reduce material and weight. Reducing weight this way creates a virtuous cycle allowing the size and weight of many components of the vehicle to be reduced. This overall size and weight reduction is the primary factor in increasing gas mileage of the Toyota iQ to 59 MPG. Corey Chambers, NEi Software

  4. Thomas
    August 27th, 2009 @ 5:37 pm

    Yeah,.. thats all fine and dandy but I think its an extremely ugly car…

  5. Peter Lewis
    September 7th, 2009 @ 10:55 am

    How people can claim that the Iq is a genuine four seater amazes me.

    I have tried out the clever design for myself and i found it near impossible to fit inside the rear of the showroom car.

    If i had been able to sit down without my legs around my neck then the rear parcelshelf or lack of it would have been far too close for comfort.

    This is a shopping car after all but with two small children sitting in the back there is no bootspace whatsoever.

    An amazing concept and design but this car is too wide and dangerous to rear midgets in the rear.

    If Toyota had been brave they would have challenged Smart head on and made the IQ a upmarket two seater with CO2 emmissions to match.

    It is too expensive to be a direct competitor to the Smart.

    Sat/nav is nearly a £1000 extra,thats not far off BMW Mini money.

    I was considering the purchase of an IQ but unfortunately Toyota were unwilling to budge on the price whatsoever.

    Smart on the other hand offered a small discount on a new CDi even when their profit margins on such small vehicles is very small.

    Mercedes get top marks for customer friendlyness,and Toyota were not even in the mood to discuss any discount in these hard times.

    WHAT A SHAME AS I RATHER LIKED THE IQS INTERIOR>

  6. Anonymous
    October 18th, 2009 @ 1:08 am

    I very like this engine cause it low pollution and with high power. Too bad this Toyota its not available in my country.

  7. Toyota Scion iQ: 37 MPG » Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog
    December 6th, 2011 @ 7:46 pm

    […] same for city and highway, as it is optimized for city driving). The earlier post discussed the Toyota iQ diesel which achieved 59 MPG (now the UK Toyota sites quotes 64 […]

  8. Toyota Scion iQ: 37 MPG » Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog
    August 12th, 2021 @ 1:52 pm

    […] same for city and highway, as it is optimized for city driving). The earlier post discussed the Toyota iQ diesel which achieved 59 MPG (now the UK Toyota sites quotes 64 […]

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