New Toyota Aygo Review
A compact city car that’s frugal and fun
The new Aygo looks even bolder than the outgoing model and it’s quieter on the move, but it’s still pretty cramped in the back and entry-level cars come with barely any equipment
The Toyota Aygo is a compact city car with eye-catching looks and a frugal petrol engine. It was updated in 2018, and now comes with some redesigned bumpers, LED daytime running lights and some more sound proofing to make it quieter at motorway speeds.
Inside, however, it looks pretty much identical to the old model. This means you get lots of hard plastics – not uncommon in a small city car – a minimalist centre console and, in high-spec cars, a touchscreen infotainment system with intuitive smartphone mirroring for Apple and Android devices.
Space in the front seats is pretty good for such a small car, but you can’t adjust the height of the driver’s seat in entry-level Aygos. You don’t get adjustable lumbar support, either, but at least there’s plenty of padding to prevent uncomfortable back ache on long trips.
Unfortunately, you can’t say the same of the Aygo’s back seats. Like the VW Up, it only comes with two, but they aren’t particularly spacious or well cushioned and anyone over six-foot will really struggle for leg- and headroom. The Aygo’s boot isn’t as big as the Up’s, either, and a very tall boot lip means it isn’t particularly easy to load.
Sadly, the Aygo’s slightly drab cabin can’t match its funky look-at-me exterior, but at least everything’s easy to use
The Aygo’s small size means it’s a doddle to drive around town. You get a decent view out through the relatively large windows and the light steering helps make nipping through tight city streets as easy as possible. It’s very easy to park, too – especially if you go for an X-press model or above with their standard reversing camera.
Sure, you’ll feel a thud from large potholes through your seat slightly more than in the more comfortable Up, and the Aygo’s three-cylinder petrol engine drones rather loudly when you accelerate hard, but it’s reasonably frugal and has just enough power to keep up with motorway traffic.
If you do head out onto faster roads, you’ll find the Aygo’s reasonable quiet for such a small car. You’ll hear a fair amount of tyre noise at speed but the Toyota’s dinky size and small wing mirrors mean not much wind noise makes its way into the cabin.
That said, the Aygo is better suited to trips to the shops than long motorway journeys, and, as such, comes with plenty of features designed to keep you safe around town, including automatic emergency braking. As a result, the Aygo makes a great city car, and a worthy alternative to the likes of the VW Up, Skoda Citigo and SEAT Mii.
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