Toyota i-Road 2015 Review - International

Toyota i-Road
Quick Spin
Shizuoka, Japan

Go-karting is fun. So is jet-skiing. Imagine for a moment if you could combine the feeling of the two? Miraculously, the Toyota i-Road succeeded in this pursuit, and is one of the coolest contraptions this side of a hover board. With a 50km cruising range, 4kW output, virtually no cargo space and safety features, I'd still have one. Simply put, it's one of the most compelling vehicles I've ever driven. A shame none of us will have the chance to drive one any time soon...

Having the good fortune to drive exotic cars and ride high performance motorcycles, I can say with all honesty I've driven something that surpasses them all in terms of pure fun-factor.

The Toyota i-Road.

There's an incredible fluidity with which the odd-looking vehicle changes direction and tips into corners – it's almost like riding a wave, carving out a perfectly shaped cutback. And that's because the front wheels don't steer – they actuate up and down while the small rear wheel adds subtle steering input.

The sensation is hugely enjoyable and it's one of those things you don't stop thinking about, even weeks after the drive. Carving around a tight left-hander and then transitioning seamlessly into a wide-open right-hand corner is an incredible experience, one that left me grinning from ear-to-ear.

Even when there's no air-conditioning, no stereo, and no airbags, I still want one!

In a bingle it'd probably fold quicker than an amateur poker player – it feels a bit flimsy – but it's no more vulnerable than a motorcycle and more fun than a similarly-executed Piaggio MP3. And you don't need to wear a helmet and won't get wet when it rains.

The key to the i-Road's intuitive operation – I literally jumped in, nailed the throttle and pumped through the corners – comes from what Toyota calls Active Lean. This system makes use of a lean actuator and special gearing connected to the front wheels that, with input from the steering wheel, move the wheels up and down independently.

With a bit of steering from the little wheel at the rear the i-Road can turn very tightly, but always smoothly.

There's some computer software and a gyroscope that take care of the calculations required (necessary lean angle, road speed etc.) to keep the i-Road from tipping over. Which it won't do, insists Toyota.

And yes, I tried to 'max' out the lean and it held fast, both at slower and higher speeds. The only way it will fall over, presumably, is when someone (or something) knocks it over.

Power comes from twin in-wheel electric motors at the front, with a combined output of 4kW. That doesn't sound like much but factor a kerb weight of 300kg and the i-Road hustles along promptly. It would easily keep up with inner-city traffic.

The i-Road can seat two in tandem (I managed to fit in the back seat, just) and entry is via conventionally opening side doors. It features manually sliding windows, has a single windscreen wiper, a USB port, a lap-sash seat-belt, accelerator and brake pedals, a steering wheel and three buttons for gears – drive, reverse and neutral.

A foot-operated park brake is included too.

Because drive and passenger sit tandem, the vehicle would not need to be engineered for left and right-hand drive markets, a bit like Renault's Twizy.

But therein lies the burning question… Will it ever be sold to the public?

Bruce Newton first tested this device two years ago and Toyota execs were hopeful back then, and when quizzed over whether it'll reach production the answer was still "we hope so".

Akihiro Yanaka, Toyota i-Road chief engineer, explained that the i-Road has huge potential in mega cities and urban centres but more feedback needs to be gathered from two trials running in Tokyo, Japan and Grenoble, France.

"We haven't decided yet," he said of mass production for the vehicle, noting that a price was also hard to pinpoint.

Indeed, Toyota is no closer to hitting the 'go' button to start manufacturing the i-Road for general consumption, with the sticker price and classification issues understood to be other hurdles.

If the vehicle was positioned at under $10,000 I'd be the first to sign up for one. That its lithium-ion batteries are changed from regular power points in about three hours is a big positive, offering a 50km range.

It measures just over two metres long, and less than a metre wide at just 870mm, and could easily snake its way through traffic.

But what exactly is the i-Road? Would it be classified a car in Australia? Perhaps a motorcycle requiring registration? Can it be driven on the foot path or the road, or perhaps both?

It's true that the Morgan 3 Wheeler is now available here and the i-Road would be an infinitely more popular vehicle because it's not $100,000 and would appeal to customers looking for simple, easy-to-park inner-city transport.

I truly hope the i-Road gets approval for production. It's an intuitive, engaging, and ludicrously fun mode of transport, but if it costs more than a Toyota Yaris the business case ain't gonna stack-up in this country.

What we liked:
>> Looks great in pink
>> Intuitive, engaging drive
>> Decent weather protection

Not so much:
>> Cramped cabin
>> It could be expensive
>> It may never be sold

Also consider:
>> Renault Twizy