Toyota Looks to Bring New Car to US Market
It seems that after suffering it’s first loss in something like 70 years, Toyota is now toying (excuse the word play) with the idea of introducing the super small, fuel efficient IQ micro car. The car looks something like the Smart car. It is only around 3 meters long but it can carry up to four passengers. The IQ is already being sold in Europe and Japan, but Toyota is hoping to take a part of the US market for these dwarfish vehicles according to Reuters:
“The IQ can figure into Toyota’s response to another world mega-trend – urbanization,” he said, speaking at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit.
Esmond also said he expected the U.S. auto market to be “very tough’ in the first half of 2009 while the second half will improve slightly.
Esmond said Toyota’s U.S. inventory is down to about 70 days, which the company still considers high.”
Tough indeed. I am not quite sure about Toyota’s move. It seems like a bit of a gamble. Since gas prices are low at the moment no one is buying these small fuel efficient cars at the moment. Perhaps Toyota is right to gamble though. It seems that that American consumer is often times the one gambling and losing these days, and as we buy more trucks and SUVs, undoubtedly as fuel cost rise we will be needed more cars like the IQ. Perhaps Toyota is crazy like a fox?
That thing actually looks kinda cool!!!