Small Footprint Wins Big!

Small cars and cars with small footprints on the environment have won another award. MotorWeek 2010 Drivers’ Choice Awards Names Toyota Prius Best Vehicle of the Year! Toyota can use the good news right now and with the Scion iQ coming later this year I am sure they will want to put to rest any lingering recall issues.

Prius Also Awarded Best Eco-Friendly Vehicle.

February 11, 2010 - - MotorWeek, television’s longest running automotive series, announced today the Toyota Prius has won the top honor of “Best of the Year” in its 2010 Drivers’ Choice Awards “for making improvements on virtually every front including, fuel efficiency, power and versatility.” Prius was a double winner as it also won MotorWeeks Drivers’ Choice Award for “Best Eco-Friendly” vehicle.

“If you can only buy one car for your family, the 2010 Prius is the one,” said MotorWeek host and executive producer John Davis. “The Prius is a no-compromise vehicle that offers impressive efficiency, cutting edge technology, smart packaging and truly iconic styling.”

“The Prius winning the prestigious MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Best of the Year and Best Eco-Friendly awards is truly an honor that reflects how far hybrid technology in the U.S. has come in one short decade,” said Bob Carter, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager. “Since it was introduced in 2000, the Prius has been an icon for positive change. Now, with over 800,000 currently on American roads, Prius has helped change the way people think about transportation, the roles cars play in the environment, and what people could expect from their cars in the future.”

MotorWeek’s Drivers’ Choice Awards have been widely acknowledged as one of the auto industry’s top honors for more than 25 years. The Drivers’ Choice Awards are chosen by the MotorWeek editorial staff by test-driving vehicles using a broad range of evaluation factors that are most important to consumers – performance, technology, practicality and value.

The Prius will be featured as the “Best of the Year” and “Best Eco-Friendly” vehicle on MotorWeek beginning February 13 on PBS.

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Aston Martin Cygnet

PRESS RELEASE:

New Aston Martin “Cygnet” inspired by Toyota’s iQ
Collaboration marks critical step in plans to expand ‘iQ world’

Toyota’s revolutionary iQ platform is about to reset traditional thinking, with plans that the world’s
smallest four-seater will serve as the basis for a new luxury commuter car to be exclusively built for and sold to Aston Martin owners. Toyota Motor Europe (TME) today announced that the new “Cygnet” would pair Aston Martin’s trademark design flair with the Toyota iQ’s highly compact and low-CO2 city driving package. The commuter car will be tailored specifically to customer requirements at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, the United Kingdom.

‘It’s a great compliment that the Toyota iQ has been hand-picked by one of the world’s most prestigious sports car brands, a company with whom we also share a strong friendship. This collaboration represents a natural pairing of strategies: a small yet spacious package, perfect for the city driver, finished off with Aston Martin’s iconic design language,’ said Tadashi Arashima, CEO and President of TME. ‘The Cygnet is a good choice for the Aston Martin owner looking for that second or third car, which is luxurious and eco-conscious,’ he added.

Although radically different in size and customer base, Aston Martin and Toyota are united in their corporate
philosophies of delivering superior quality, engineering excellence and innovative technology. The collaboration is also fortunate to benefit from a strong relationship underlined by a passion for cars.

The Toyota iQ is considered a breakthrough in intelligent design. Less than three metres in length, its flexible package can accommodate up to four people, providing owners with a new dimension of versatility. Featuring a range of design innovations – such as its flat under-floor fuel tank and asymmetric dashboard – the iQ is positioned as the “no compromise choice” with CO2 emissions starting as low as 99 g/km. It also offers outstanding levels of passive and active safety equipment resulting in a Euro NCAP 5-star rating.

Despite tough market conditions for the automotive industry, the Toyota iQ has proved appealing to a wide
variety of city drivers with a taste for style, driving performance and low CO2. The Toyota iQ made its European sales debut in January 2009. It continues to perform in line with expectation, with over 25,000 units sold to-date.

The planned collaboration with Aston Martin is a timely endorsement of the iQ’s superior packaging. The
announcement marks a critical step in Toyota’s longer-term planning to expand the ‘iQ world’ – that is, to bring new versions of the Toyota iQ to market globally and expand the company’s eco-friendly line-up.

• Toyota new Electric Car Set For 2012 Launch - Link
  Auto news reports that Toyota is working out the details for a battery powered concept IQ, the front-drive FT-EV.
  
• US IQ Launch Date still undetermined. - Link
  “The Toyota iQ microcar being sold in Japan and Europe is another example of a world platform that we may want to adapt to the U.S. market,” Don Esmond, senior vice president of automotive operations at Toyota Motor Sales USA.
• Make your Apple Macintosh as safe as an IQ. - Link
  Really unique screen saver and security for your apple laptop.
  
• Toyota Named Green Car Manufacturer Of The Year. - Link
  The IQ definitely helped Toyota reach this outstanding award.
  
• 2009 World Car of the Year Finalist Revealed, IQ On The list! - Link
  Respectable line up includes: Audi, BMW, Citroen, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Mazda, Nissan and Volkswagen.
  
• 72 Mile Per Gallon Toyota IQ, Wow! - Link
  Hypermiling, the art of maximizing gas mileage on the road, is usually associated with owners of the Toyota Prius. Now the IQ gets tested.
• Hyundai IQ Rival - Link
  Hyundai clearly has Toyota in its sites.  They are bringing the fight anywhere Toyota has a market.

Winding Road spy photos of a Toyota iQ car that was out for testing. Like most spy shots, the car is disguised, but you get an idea of the design and proportions.