Toyota Aygo hatchback
"The Toyota Aygo has a bold design, thrifty engine and comes in a varied mix of trims"
Pros
- Very economical
- Agile handling
- Stylish looks
Cons
- Outdone by some rivals
- Limited boot and rear-seat space
- Basic interior on low-spec models
The latest Toyota Aygo has a distinctive, angular design, set apart further by the large ‘X’ on its nose. A mid-life facelift in 2018 gave the Aygo an even sharper appearance, thanks to new LED lights and bumpers. The result was an Aygo more in keeping with Toyota’s latest family look, while extra equipment was added too.
The second-generation Aygo is more spacious inside, thanks in part to being a little bigger on the outside. Despite the growth spurt, the running costs are still low and it remains Toyota’s smallest and cheapest model to buy. Toyota slimmed the Aygo range in May 2020, and now only five-door models are available, which matches many of its rivals. The Aygo faces stiff competition from the Kia Picanto, Hyundai i10 and the now electric Skoda Citigo, which are all worthy alternatives.
The Aygo is closely related to the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 108. This means there are similarities, including the car’s 71bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine, but the Aygo is more stylish and has a longer warranty than those two cars. Although the range starts from under £12,000, go for the top x-clusiv trim and you’ll pay almost £15,000. We’d recommend buying an Aygo from the lower end of the range, as the more expensive models stray into supermini price territory.
The £9,600 entry-level model has now been discontinued, but it’s a fantastic proposition for those looking on the used market for a first car. Most Aygos will be sold with a five-speed manual gearbox, which is the better choice unless you really need the ponderous x-shift automatic.
The automatic gearbox isn’t particularly smooth and it slows the car down, taking its 0-62mph time up to 15.2 seconds from 13.8 in the manual. Economy also suffers, albeit slightly, worsening to 54.3mpg from 56.4mpg. All Aygos cost £150 per year to tax.
With a car like the Aygo, you wouldn’t expect too much to go wrong, but it’s good to know Toyota provides a five-year/100,000-mile warranty as standard. There’s also a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty that can be passed to the next owner. The Aygo finished 43rd out of the 75 cars ranked in our 2018 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey of cars currently on sale in the UK. Not enough owners took the survey in 2020 but Toyota finished sixth out of 30 manufacturers.
Independent crash-testing body Euro NCAP awarded the Aygo four out of five stars. Electronic stability control, seatbelt reminders for the front and rear seats and ISOFIX child-seat mounting points for the outer two rear seats are fitted as standard. From summer 2020, the Toyota Safety Sense suite of safety kit was also included as standard.
