iQ's Six Major Space-Saving Innovations
- Front-mounted differential
- Centre take-off steering gear
- flat under-floor fuel tank
- 4 Ultra-slim seat design
- Ultra-compact heater/air conditioning unit
- Asymmetric dashboard design
"Every millimetre we can move the pedals forward is very important. So five years ago we embarked upon an exercise in extreme packaging improvement as part of the iQ project. And the lessons learnt here will be applied to other future Toyota models," Hiroki Nakajima, Chief Engineer of the iQ
1) Front-mounted differential
The forward placement of the differential in front of the engine means the distance from the tip of the bumper to the accelerator pedal could be reduced by 120 mm. This ingenious location of the differential brings 3-fold advantages: the under-bonnet area is made more compact; the front wheels can be placed at the very corners of the car, which drastically shortens the front overhang.
2) Centre take-off steering
The new iQ uses a central take-off steering gear that is positioned higher and further back in the engine bay. The engine compartment could then be reduced considerably, further shortening the front overhang. This is made possible, because the steering rack tie rods are connected to the centre of the steering rack, rather than to both ends of the steering rack like in the case of Yaris and AYGO. This allowed the engineers to accommodate the engine underneath.
3) Fuel tank
iQ's new fuel tank has 32 litre capacity which is enough for more than 700km of range for the 1.0-litre engine.
4) Ultra-slim seat design
The slimness of the iQ seat backs release a further 40mm of rear passenger room at knee height so that rear passengers can sit more comfortably. With an all-new frame structure and optimal adjustment of ancillary parts, the slimmer seat designs save space without sacrificing comfort. In its drive to save weight Toyota has designed high tensile steel seat frames that save 1 kg per seat.
5) Space-saving heater/air conditioning unit
Toyota engineers have managed to significantly reduce the size of the heater/air conditioning unit without sacrificing performance output. As a result of the size reduction, the passenger-side area of the asymmetric dashboard could be moved forward and centrally towards the windscreen base, freeing up additional cabin space. The overall size of the unit has been reduced by 20% with no reduction in performance. A smaller blower fan, improved air flow by re-routing air passages within the unit and a more compact air filter made this possible.
6) Asymmetric dashboard / sliding seat configuration
The iQ's innovative asymmetric dashboard was designed to open up the passenger area. Here the passenger instrument panel, which traditionally housed the large air-conditioning unit has been reshaped. This gives an extra 130mm of passenger legroom compared with Yaris, enabling the seat to be moved backwards and forwards. In addition, the glove box in a conventional car has been removed, but can be replaced by a detachable briefcase if necessary.
The pushed-forward and step-like structure of the dashboard provides sufficient space for the front passenger when the seat is set at its most forward position while comfortably accommodating an adult in the rear seat.