Toyota to counter GM's hybrid SUV onslaught with a mini hybrid onslaught?
The unexpected stars of this year's Geneva Motor Show were small cars. I expected hybrids or electrics to really make news but small cars stole the show. One of those small car stars was the Toyota iQ which will be released in half a year or so. How did Toyota do that? I think they had some help from Daihatsu, a car company Toyota bought a 51 percent stake in 1999 and one of Japan's most prolific maker of small cars. Daihatsu made the UFE (ultra fuel economy) III concept in the picture above (see it in a video below the fold) and first shown in 2001. The UFE III's drag coefficient is .168, it get gets 169 miles per gallon and it's a hybrid.
GM will probably beat Toyota on the hybrid front on shear numbers alone. GM's mild or Two Mode hybrids, according to GM's own marketing, will make SUVs as fuel efficient as small cars. Do you see an open market? Daihatsu was the first company in Japan to release a mini hybrid. There is some talk the iQ might even be a plug-in hybrid. Will Toyota release the first mini hybrid this year? However Toyota decides to leverage their Daihatsu subsidiary, if the UFC III concept is any indication, it's sure to be interesting.
[Source: YouTube]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
josh 11:31AM (3/15/2008)
love cars... hate car shows. the introduction of that video explains in great detail, why.
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mike 11:45AM (3/15/2008)
A 169 mpg car and it's Not for Sale?
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mike 11:48AM (3/15/2008)
It looks like a second gen Impact. Too bad GM burned the blueprints
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GoodCheer 12:24PM (3/15/2008)
I was actually thinking it looks a lot like a second gen (or baby brother to) Honda Insight. Actually with seating for 3 I suppose we can't call it a baby brother.
"GM's mild or Two Mode hybrids, according to GM's own marketing, will make SUVs as fuel efficient as small cars"
I think that's going to be a hard claim to back up with new small cars like this one. (Even my 10 year old 'small car' averages about 39mpg).
Actually, is this post about the iQ or about the UFE III? The iQ seems nice enough, but pretty unremarkable from what I've heard. I'd certainly take a look at the UFE III (or anything else with that kind of fuel economy).
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terrence_bethea 12:56PM (3/15/2008)
Bob Lutz will be using a Prius as a daily driver before GM produces hybrid SUVs with mileage comparable to small cars.
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Snowdog 1:40PM (3/15/2008)
It also looks a lot like the VW 1 liter car.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:1-Liter-VW_%28525150348%29.jpg
All ultra-aerodynamic cars will look very similar as they are driven by function rather than styling.
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Mr Brody 2:25PM (3/15/2008)
Nice aero features. Vehicle mass and aerodynamics can be more significant for fuel economy than hybridization. Make it a EV or a REEV and we are in business. Start selling.
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armmat 3:31PM (3/15/2008)
Hopefully Toyota can put the last nail in GM's coffin....can't wait.
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Mark 1:16AM (3/16/2008)
169 mpg's??...this thing will be hard to keep in stock...IF THEY SOLD IN NORTH AMERICA...BRING IT HERE.
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Rick 5:17PM (3/17/2008)
Pelase don't cover up the wheels! That's the most irratating design concept ever donned upon a car. It didn't work for the Insight and it will doom any other car that comes with wheels covered. Wheels are sexy and part of car design.
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