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Carmakers are tapping into a growing demand for fuel-efficient small cars to meet tighter emissions regulations.
Toyota and Volkswagen unveiled ultra-compact prototype cars at last week's Frankfurt motor show that will go into production within the next 18 months or so. Toyota's is called the iQ and VW's the up! Both will rival Mitsubishi's iCar, a best-seller in Japan.
Toyota will launch a production version of the iQ in traffic-congested Europe in 2009. It will be built in Japan initially, starting at about 100,000 vehicles a year.
Measuring 2980mm in length, the iQ is around 800mm shorter than Toyota's current mini, the Yaris. The ultra-compact car based on the concept model is expected to have enough interior space for four people and to be powered by 1-litre petrol or diesel engines.
Toyota Motor Europe chief operating officer Thierry Dombreval said the iQ car was "not too far" from the production version.
The iQ is 425mm shorter than the compact Aygo, but at 1680mm wide and 1480mm high, is spacious enough to seat four, says Dombreval.
Practicality is boosted by the versatile cabin, says Toyota, which can be arranged and adjusted to suit a variety of uses. In standard form, the driver and front passenger sit side-by-side, but by moving the passenger chair forward, extra room can be freed up behind. And in the back, the bench folds flat to create extra luggage capacity.
Key components have been shrunk to maximise cabin space. An ultra-compact heating unit takes up little room in the dash console, while a single central dial displays the interior temperature and houses the ventilation dials.
The speedometer, rev counter and fuel gauge are all displayed in one window. Audio and navigation controls are integrated into the steering wheel, with route-finding information projected onto the windscreen by a head-up display.
A panoramic glass sunroof gives the cabin an airy feel during the day, says Toyota, while at night there's ambient lighting in the footwells. Toyota promises the small dimensions don't compromise crash protection, as the iQ's body features a safety cell that absorbs the force of an impact.
VW says the same thing about its up! concept, which points to the company's future design direction. At 3450mm, the up! is longer than the iQ. It is based on a new platform powered by two- and three-cylinder diesel drivetrains.
Up front, it retains the VW face, while at the rear the transparent tailgate contains a glowing Volkswagen roundel. The company said it freed up interior space and improved the car's stability by pushing each of the four wheels into the corners.
The lightweight passenger seats, which have inflatable pockets to maximise comfort, can be removed to allow larger loads. A touch-sensitive screen controls air-conditioning, entertainment and vehicle controls. A second screen, mounted ahead of the driver, instantly provides more vehicle information, including fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Mazda is another carmaker setting new weight and size goals. Its new Mazda2 hatchback ($20,900 to $24,500 in New Zealand) is a whopping 100kg lighter than its predecessor. The car also boasts boasts lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
The carmaker says the weight loss is the result of the "gram strategy" first employed in the third generation MX-5, whereby designers analyse every gram of weight to see where savings can be made.
Sixty per cent of the Mazda2's weight saving comes from engineering solutions, including the body shell, which was slimmed down by 22kg but made stronger through the use of high-tensile steels.
Another 20 per cent of weight savings came from changes to features and materials, while the final 20 per cent came from making the car's exterior dimensions smaller. It's 40mm shorter, 55mm lower but 15mm wider than the existing model, while retaining a wheelbase of 2490mm.
