Toyota developed the first two generations of its smallest car in Europe with the help of Peugeot and Citroën (now part of Stellantis), but that no longer applies to the new Aygo, as it is a fully Toyota car. Two former PSA brands have decided to exit the segment, with no planned replacements for the 108 and C1, so the Aygo will have to face fewer rivals. Which is good!
As well as eschewing its French connections, Toyota's all-new small model is even changing its personality by adopting an 'X' suffix to reflect the transition from hatchback to mini-crossover. Although it still fits the definition of an old continent A-segment model, the Aygo X is considerably larger than its predecessor. And it looks pretty serious too!
It's also 125mm wider, 1,740mm and 65mm taller, at 1,525mm, than the model it replaces, bringing it in line with the likes of the Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto and Fiat Panda. After sprouting the growth, the luggage volume increased by more than 60 liters to a full 231 liters measured to the edge of the seat and to 269 liters to the roof. Fold the rear bench and the volume up to the roof jumps to 829 liters. Enough for a camping holiday for two.
It's now so big that Toyota sees fit to fit as many as 18-inch wheels, finished in matte black with contrasting orange (tangerine) accents. The Aygo X rides on the GA-B platform and continues to offer a retractable fabric roof to maintain an open-air atmosphere. Despite the significant increase in size, the turning circle is only 4.7 meters, making it ideal for the crowded urban jungle with its narrow and busy streets.
To emphasize its newfound crossover credentials, the Aygo X features a thick black plastic molding on the wheel arches and offers an extra 11mm of ground clearance compared to the previous model. You also sit 55 mm higher than before in the car.
The cabin is almost as chic as the exterior, with brightly colored accents and a whimsical 9-inch touchscreen dashboard. Despite being Toyota's entry-level range in Europe, the Aygo X still gets ambient lighting and wireless charging, not to mention full-LED headlights and even support for online updates. There is also a wide range of safety technologies available, including adaptive cruise control, nighttime pedestrian detection, lane keeping assist and daytime cyclist detection to name a few.
Toyota keeps things extremely simple in terms of engines as there is only one. The Aygo X is powered by a naturally aspirated 1.0-litre petrol mill producing 72 PS (53 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 93 Nm at 4,400 rpm. The three-cylinder unit works with either a five-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable transmission.
All this allows the little crossover / hatchback to hit 100km/h from a standstill in a painfully slow 15.6 seconds, while the CVT shaves off a tenth of a second. Top speed is 158 km/h for the manual and a slightly lower 151 km/h for the CVT-equipped model.
Being feather-light, it consumes only 4.7 liters / 100 km and has CO2 emissions of only 107 g/km.
Toyota has taken full ownership of a factory in the Czech Republic where Peugeot and Citroën models were once made as part of a now defunct 50:50 joint venture. It already produces the latest generation of the supermini Yaris there, and will soon follow with the Aygo X, which will compete in the rare A segment. Sales are scheduled for the beginning of 2022.
