It doesn’t look that different but Toyota has torn up the script and started again with the new Aygo X.
You could be forgiven for not spotting the facelift; a new headlight signature, grille and bonnet, which now carries the badge, are the main clues, but it’s what you don’t see that sets Aygo X apart from its rivals.
The new full hybrid engine is a first for the class with off the scale economy, the best safety package of any small car and loads more refinement are the headliners. Trust me, this is seriously impressive, but is shelling out up to £27k a bit too much for a tiny car?
The four model range starts with the Icon at a more sensible £21,595 but you get more creature comforts with the Design at £23,695 or push the boat out further for Excel at £26,045. But here’s food for thought. The new Chinese Tiggo 7 hybrid at around £25,000 is a much bigger five seat SUV.
A significant move was ditching the 1-litre for a 1.5, the same engine used in the Yaris, and has done wonders for economy. I took a 40 odd mile drive, mainly dual carriageway, and returned a staggering 78.6mpg, the highest I have achieved in any car other than a plug-in hybrid. Topping 70mpg was a regular thing, in fact the Aygo X never dropped below 62mpg.
It is substantially more powerful and is now a nipply little number while it knocks off motorway miles quite comfortably. With the GR Sport package it is good fun to drive with precise steering and holding its line through twists and turns. Not much body roll here.
That said I am not convinced by the GR as it is just down to steering and suspension tuning without any extra performance. If you are prepared to spend £26k the well equipped Excel is a better proposition.
The new car comes with lots of upgrades. The top two models get keyless entry and start and all models have an electronic parking brake. There are some new graphics in the central touchscreen and a clearer strip of physical switches for the heating.
The biggest change is to the driver’s display which is now all digital with a large speedometer reading. Sensibly Toyota has placed it in the centre rather than to the side which is a trend with some new Chinese models. Why they think that is the best place is beyond me.
There is also a good information panel… if you can get to see it. Like so many others, the driver monitoring system is oversensitive. I wanted to turn off lane hold using a switch on the steering wheel but every time I glanced at the display it was covered by a ‘driver inattentive detected’ message. Ironically this creates more danger than me making the two second adjustment.
The same beep sound and message appears when adjusting the heating. What was more annoying was I could not find how to turn it off. I suspect you can’t.
I am probably being mocked for criticising something meant to keep you safe. What I will say is that when it comes to safety Aygo X gets five big stars. No other car in its class can match the list of features that includes adaptive cruise control, lane assist, and emergency braking whether driving ahead or turning out of a junction. This no doubt contributes to the high cost of the car.
At 3.776 metres Aygo X is a small car and is up against the likes of Kia Picanto, Hyundai i10 and Renault Twingo. In GR Sport trim the black interior is very dark especially in the back where the door windows are small. With the high front sports seats it can be claustrophobic and tight for space for anyone over average height. Thankfully there is good space under the front seats to stow your feet otherwise this would not be a great place for a long journey.
The back door opening is narrow so fixing a child seat along with a toddler is going to be a struggle.
No city car can offer a big boot so don’t expect much from the Aygo. It is deep and can squeeze in a couple of carry-on cases but the smaller Kia Picanto beats it by 24 litres.
Whatever I think about the price Aygo X is arguably the best city car on the market for its stunning economy, low emissions, performance and first class safety package.
Fast facts
Aygo X GR Sport
£26,895 (starts £21,595)
1.5 litre petrol hybrid; 114bhp
0-62mph 9.2secs; 107mph
72.4mpg-74.3mpg combined
87g/km. 1st tax £280
Boot: 231 litres
Insurance group 19
