The revolutionary Toyota iQ, the world’s smallest four-seater passenger car, has won the 2008 Japan Car of the Year award by a landslide over rivals such as the Citroën C5, Audi A4 and Jaguar XF. The innovative iQ scored more than double the points of the second placed, receiving top marks from 39 of the 65 jurors who voted.
The judges praised the iQ for its space efficiency and design, particularly the iQ’s capacity for seating four people within a body less than three metres long, as well as its combination of high levels of safety and low CO2 emissions.
But this incredible result will not be repeated in the 2008 European Car of the Year. The reason is that sales in Europe do not start until January 2009, past the cut-off for the European Car of the Year for this year.
Results of Japan Car of the Year 2008
| 1. | Toyota iQ | 526 points |
| 2. | Citroën C5 | 223 points |
| 3. | Nissan GT-R | 201 points |
| 4. | Audi A4/A4 Avant | 180 points |
| 5. | Jaguar XF | 115 points |
| 6. | Daihatsu Tanto | 100 points |
| 7. | Fiat 500 | 90 points |
| 8. | Honda Freed | 62 points |
| 9. | Mazda Atenza | 60 points |
| 10. | Suzuki Wagon R/Wagon R Stingray | 37 points |
| 11 | Subaru Exiga | 31 points |
The new Toyota iQ goes on sale in the UK from 6 January 2009 with prices starting from £9,495. Full details and specs can be seen here Toyota presents production-ready iQ.
News provided by www.toyotaiqcentral.com
