Category: City Cars 
Price Range: £10,495 to £11,615
Clever packaging; a more flexible engine; premium feel.
Noisy engine; too expensive; tries too hard to be something it's not.
Although the 98bhp engine adds cruising ability, Toyota's city car doesn't need it when you consider the higher purchase price and greater running costs.
This is where you start to wonder why Toyota has made the bigger four-cylinder engine available with the iQ.
The difference in acceleration between the rev-happy, 1.0-litre three cylinder petrol version and this 1,333cc four-pot is negligible: the more powerful model only manages 0-62mph in 13.5 seconds - just half a second quicker.
That's because this version of the iQ is geared to cruise at speed in a more relaxed manner than the three-cylinder. It's capable of 105mph at the top end, rather than the 1.0-litre's paltry 93mph, but the iQ's squat shape and short wheelbase do not lend themselves to three-figure speeds. In fact, the car feels quite unsteady going that quickly - although it's more stable than a Smart.
In terms of handling, the iQ is outpointed by almost all conventional city cars, but those incredibly compact dimensions make it extraordinarily useful in the urban environment. Over the bumps and scars of London's roads, this model seemed a little more stiffly sprung, possibly to help cope with bigger engine's extra 30kg of weight.
Ride quality is good though and it's a very nippy little thing. One advantage of the stronger powertrain is that it's smoother than the three-cylinder engine, particularly with the CVT gearbox fitted. Some customers don't enjoy the lumpy thrum of a three-pot either, and they will prefer this more conventional engine.
