Back in 2002 PSA Group (Peugeot, Citroën) and Toyota agreed to produce a small city car together. Three years later the Peugeot 107, Citroën C1 and Toyota Aygo were available for purchase. Almost ten years later in 2014 they introduced the second generation. Peugeot chose model name 108, Citroen and Toyota stuck to their names, albeit that AYGO was in capital letters from now on.
The first generation seemed to be about function more than form, quite basic, efficient city cars. In 2014 the amount of rival models from the competition has almost tripled to at least 20 obvious competitors. Competition leads to excellence. The new generation is all about form AND function. Toyota took care of the technical aspects, engine and gearbox. So this is a reliable Asian car, hence the 5 years warranty.
Personally I love the bold styling and fresh design choices for the AYGO, even though it might be a bit too much for some people. I think this car looks best in “Red Pop”, “Orange Twist” or “Cyan splash” colours. They are sight for sore eyes in the mostly grey mass of daily traffic. Prefer a more subtle look? the “Dark Blue Twinkle” colour with black contrast colour looks stunning as well. You can configure to your own heart’s desire on the Toyota website. Take note though: It doesn’t take much clicking to configure an AYGO that surpasses the base price of the bigger Toyota Yaris.
Pretty much all the cars I have ever bought were lightweight (sports) cars. The AYGO weighs about 800 kilograms so this one belongs in the lightweight category as well. Just the way I like’em. It’s obviously not a sports car, nor does it try to be one, you will feel the lack of weight when driving the AYGO. It snaps of the line and the suspension has no trouble whatsoever coping with potholes or speed bumps. This type of suspension is too soft for a sports car but perfect for a city car. It’s comfortable and easy to maneuver. Just don’t go pushing it too hard around corners, the body roll is going to be uncomfortable. The AYGO will get you dry and safe, around town, and if you are so inclined there is fun to be had while doing so. Just don’t shift when the shift indicator tells you to. Otherwise, you’ll be in 5th gear doing a meager 65 km an hour. This car was designed to be fuel efficient and keep the CO2 emissions to a minimum.
Theoretically the AYGO should have 90% of its torque available at 2000 RPM. This statement doesn’t feel totally accurate when you drive the car because it feels flat under 3000 RPM. Luckily even when you push the engine the fuel consumption is very reasonable. Even with my sporty driving style I barely surpassed the stated 4,1 liter per 100 km.
The car we tested was the “X-Cite” edition, this includes: black 15 inch wheels, Cyan Splash colour, X-touch 7 inch multimedia display, leather steering wheel and shifter.
GPS & multimedia: When I left at Toyota with the AYGO, I connected my Iphone via USB cable. I was a bit disappointed when I saw a message that I needed to install an App on my Iphone. I left it connected because it did charge my battery. Whilst in traffic on the outer ring of Brussels, I pushed the “Mode” button on the steering wheel. I was surprised when all of a sudden I heard music from my Iphone coming from the car speakers. It works quite well, even with Bluetooth. The GPS is easy to control with the touchscreen. When I’m doing tests I always follow the GPS’ instructions, no questions asked. With a brand new car this should not cause any trouble because of the recent maps. In the AYGO’s case however the maps were outdated. So I ended up in a dead-end street twice. Luckily making a U-turn with a small city car is a piece of cake. Also, worth noting: the car makes a loud and annoying sound when approaching speed cameras. It’s very hard to miss, so it is annoyingly effective.
The interior is nice and looks up to premium standards, optional elements in body colour are a nice touch. Seats were PSA Group’s responsibility, coincidental one of the few minus points in my test car was the passenger seat. With the engine purring happily in neutral it causes the (empty) passenger seat to vibrate which sounds like a jackhammer in the distance. This car was brand new and obviously there is an easy fix for this so no need to make a big deal about this. I guess quality control is supposed to catch this, but small flaws like this are inevitable in mass produced cars.
Price: The base model AYGO is definitely competitively priced (+- 11.000 €) but it’s not the cheapest in the segment. It is good value though, thanks to extensive safety options included in the base model and overall high quality.
Pluspoints
- Bold design
- Reliable city car
Minuspoints
- Outdated GPS maps
Conclusion: Going against the current takes courage, especially because it doesn’t guarantee success. Luckily the AYGO seems to deliver, so let’s hope for more bold moves from Toyota in the nearby future: A smaller (Cabriolet) version of the GT86 perhaps? The AYGO is a well-designed, good looking compact city car without obvious flaws. To me it feels like a part of the premium part of the A-segment, while the price remains a bit under the premium prices. If you’re in the market for a new city car with a fresh vibe, drop by at your local Toyota dealer.
Pictures and Review: Jonas
