Toyota’s miniscule iQ hatchback _ a four-seater similar in size to a Smart car – has just won a top safety rating from Euro NCAP.
Euro NCAP, which has developed a new rating scheme which focuses on the vehicle’s overall protection performance, awarded the tiny car five stars.
The new rating scheme uses a weighted score, combining all aspects of a car’s safety performance: adult (50 percent), child (20 percent) and pedestrian (20 percent) protection assessment results with the availability of driver assistance devices (10 percent).
A minimum score of 70 percent overall is necessary to achieve five stars.
Despite its compact size, the iQ makes no compromises in active and passive safety, and achieved an overall weighted score of 79 percent.
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.
