The all-new Toyota iQ may be the smallest four-seater car on the market, but is also one of the safest according to new independent crash testing results from Euro NCAP.
Euro NCAP, which has developed a new rating scheme which focuses on the vehicle’s overall protection performance, awarded the tiny traffic buster 5-stars.
In addition, one of Ireland's long established best selling models, the new Avensis, also earned a 5-star rating. The new Avensis and iQ ranges went on sale here last month.
The new rating scheme uses a weighted score, combining all aspects of a car’s safety performance: adult (50 per cent ), child (20 per cent ) and pedestrian (20 per cent ) protection assessment results with the availability of driver assistance devices (10 per cent ). A minimum score of 70 per cent overall is necessary to achieve a 5-star rating. To qualify for inclusion, the devices must be fitted, as standard across 85 per cent of the EU 27 2009 model range.
Despite its compact urban-friendly dimensions, the iQ makes no compromises in the fields of active and passive safety, achieving a remarkable overall weighted score of 79 per cent. Every iQ features as standard, nine airbags – including a world-first, rear window curtain shield airbag, Anti-lock Brakes (ABS ), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD ), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC ) and Traction Control.
The new Avensis’s overall weighted score of 81 per cent highlights the new Toyota’s comprehensive levels of active and passive safety technology, which include a pre-crash system, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and lane departure warning.
