Tempe is growing ever more dense. Central Phoenix is sprouting with new apartments, condominiums, and commercial complexes around the light-rail line. Phoenix is forming into an actual metropolis, the sort of metropolis that one would see in a movie, meaning that it is accumulating the basic elements of the grand urban American dream. Phoenix is becoming a real city. With this growth and change comes a higher level of urban density. While Phoenix may never become quite as dense as San Francisco or Chicago, things are headed in this general direction, not only for Phoenix, but for American urban planning and housing development as a whole. It is time that our vehicles began to reflect not only our personality and tastes, but also the reality of the environment in which we live.
Whether you may call it a mini, subcompact, or a micro-car, smaller vehicles, especially when coupled with hybrid options and green technology, are perfect for driving in the inner city. One particularly unique and exciting new model in this genre is the 2011 Toyota – Scion IQ. The original Toyota IQ, as having debuted at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, was intended strictly for the Asian and European markets, but this year the model comes to the States under the Scion name. The design of the Scion IQ emphasizes low fuel consumption, maneuverability, environmental friendliness, and maximized interior space. Six specific design factors contribute to IQ’s minimal overhangs, forward windscreen location, maximized cabin space and overall compactness. These include a newly developed differential and a centre take-off steering gear, a flat fuel tank and rear-angled shock absorbers, a smaller heater/air conditioning unit and asymmetric dashboard, and a slimmer seat design.
Also of note is the new Aston Martin Cygnet, a luxury car based on the IQ model, this will be available in Europe shortly (partly as a means to please new tough EU environmental regulations and quotas), and will likely be coming stateside soon as it has already garnered a great deal of interest from the US auto market.
Phoenix Arizona residents can view and test drive the IQ at any of the Phoenix Valley area Scion dealers when it hits showroom floors sometime later this year.
