The Toyota iQ may be the smallest four-seater car on the market, but is also one of the safest according to new independent crash testing results from Euro NCAP.
Euro NCAP, which has developed a new rating scheme which focuses on the vehicle’s overall protection performance, awarded the tiny traffic buster 5-stars.
The new rating scheme uses a weighted score, combining all aspects of a car’s safety performance: adult (50 per cent), child (20 per cent) and pedestrian (20 per cent) protection assessment results with the availability of driver assistance devices (10 per cent). A minimum score of 70 per cent overall is necessary to achieve a 5-star rating. To qualify for inclusion, the devices must be fitted, as standard across 85 per cent of the EU 27 2009 model range.
Despite its compact urban-friendly dimensions, the iQ made no compromises in the fields of active and passive safety, achieving a remarkable overall weighted score of 79 per cent. Toyota’s latest green addition, the iQ has a CO2 figure of just 99g/km for the 1.0 VVT-I M/T model and does 65.7 mpg on a combined cycle. Every iQ features as standard, nine airbags – including a world-first, rear window curtain shield airbag, Anti-lock Brakes (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control.
The iQ’s British-built big brother, the new Avensis, also earned a 5-star rating. The new Avensis’s overall weighted score of 81 per cent highlights the new Toyota’s comprehensive levels of active and passive safety technology, which include a pre-crash system, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and lane departure warning.
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