BUYER'S GUIDE: Toyota iQ

FROM £2,500 Quirky city car was pricey when new, but makes a lot of sense for those after a cheap runabout

- Richard Dredge

TOYOTA is one of the world's biggest car makers, but also had a reputation for being one of the most conservative. With their safe designs and so-so dynamics, the firm's cars were great for reliability, but they generally struggled to set the pulse racing.

However, Toyota embraced hybrid technology decades before pretty much everyone else (Honda being the key exception), and it has produced quite a few enthusiasts' cars over the years. It also hasn't been afraid to innovate, with one of its most interesting vehicles being the iQ city car that arrived almost 15 years ago. At less than three metres long but with the comfort of something bigger, the iQ provided superb urban transport.

History 
THE IQ arrived in January 2009, in 67bhp 1.0-litre form, with a choice of two trim levels and manual or Multidrive CVT automatic transmissions.

The 1.33-litre iQ introduced in July 2009 provided a useful boost in performance, with 97bhp and 92lb ft of torque; it came in range-topping 3 trim only, though. Around the same time, Toyota announced a partnership with Aston Martin to create a new iQ-based luxury city car - the Cygnet.