The Toyota iQ is the world’s smallest four-seater motor and is billed as a premium city car.

It’s now available with a 1.33-litre engine but does it need it? Adrian Hearn assesses the clever little motor.

We love the Toyota iQ at Auto Trader. Despite being less than three metres long, its revolutionary seating system means it can comfortably accommodate three adults and at a squeeze seat four.

Then there’s its look; the iQ is a car for the iPhone generation – quirky and cool, but still very functional. It’s shorter than the original Mini but is much wider, making it genuinely practical.

A measly 32-litre boot space means you’ll have to use the back seat for carrying luggage, essentially turning the iQ into a 3+1 – but how often will you have two in the back?

We’ve just driven the 1.33-litre stop/start model which has 97bhp and 90lb/ft of pulling power – up from the 67bhp offered in the 1-litre model.

As a result, it will accelerate from 0-62mph in 11.8 seconds and hit 106mph, up from 14.7 seconds and 93mph. However, it doesn’t feel much nippier in its natural surrounding – the city. It’s more targeted towards motorway speeds but then iQ isn’t the sort of car which will be ploughing down the M40 on many occasions.

With its high roofline the iQ rolls quite a lot through corners and tight roundabouts but it does mean taller people can be accommodated although we think 6ft 3 is a maximum passenger / driver height. 

And it’s got a six-speed manual (yep, it’s got six gears) which is akin to a larger, more premium car. It’s a nice boast, but for its intended purpose as a city car there aren’t too many occasions when you even get into fourth. It is more refined and quieter at higher speeds though.

The stop/start (which shuts down the engine when in stationary in neutral) means the iQ emits 113g/km and has a claimed average fuel economy of 58.9mpg although we were averaging around 40mpg after a week of driving. 

Toyota has fitted the iQ with nine airbags and the little car has a maximum five star EuroNCAP crash test rating, achieving 91 per cent for adult occupancy.

What do you think of the Toyota iQ?

The next Aston Martin?

When it comes to the x-factor, it’s not just us who think the Japanese city car is cool. Aston Martin is building a super-premium city car concept based on the Toyota iQ which, if production gets the go-ahead, will be sold exclusively to Aston customers.

Aston Martin told Auto Trader the iQ was the best option thanks to its layout and overall quality. They’re right; it’s comfortable, is well built and has an overall premium feel.

There’s no doubting the iQ is an impressive little car; and the new engine does progress it further – but with a basic price of £11,615 rising to £14,715 for the top-spec model it’s as expensive as it is cool.

If you want a practical premium city car to drive round town buy the 1-litre model. If you need to drive on a motorway or dual-carriageway buy a Ford Fiesta.

Sometimes it’s better to have a lower iQ…