Toyota’s economic Aygo X bursting with technology

THE car I have been driving this week was the epitome of the 21st century city slicker, bursting with new technology and driver aids.

But the one thing I relished, apart from this little car’s ease of passage, was its traditionally styled sunroof.

This addition to a car, like any other modern vehicle, that employs the latest production materials both inside and out, made driving in fine weather a real pleasure.

The sunroof has been around practically since the car was invented but modern ones tend to comprise a sliding panel in the vehicle’s roof.

The incomparable all-new Toyota Aygo X had a canvas retractable roof, that the giant Japanese carmaker describes as “adding to the driving fun factor”.

And I have to agree: the sum of the Aygo X’s parts is that everything about the car has its place — and pride of place, in my book, was the sunroof.

However, the fun did not stop there. The baby of the Toyota model range, with its perky automatic gearbox (a new S-CVT transmission) and fizzing engine, was simply a joy to drive.

Sure this city car might be more suited to town or city streets yet it proved willing and able on the motorway.

However, its true metier is nipping around built-up areas and finding that elusive little parking space that the majority of lumbering SUVs would have to pass by.

So what’s new about the 2022 Aygo X, after all the Aygo has been around since 2005? Its name does not present a mystery: apparently, it comes from “i-go, symbolising freedom and mobility”.

I think the all-new model is spot on for up-to-the-minute design and drivability. This new Aygo X is described as a “compact urban crossover”. So you get the attractive high driving position (for such a small car) and good visibility. Also part of this car’s attractiveness are the colour combinations available.

The Spice Girls’ song, Spice Up Your Life, is apt here as Toyota says the Aygo X’s new colour concept to spice up owners’ driving lives for the Aygo X is “inspired by different spices”.

There are four premium colours only available for the Aygo X: Cardamom Green delivering a “refined and understated aesthetic”; Chilli Red is fiery and catches the eye; there is sophisticated Ginger Beige and finally, Juniper Blue, which is “youthful with a touch of masculinity”.

Make what you will out of that but I was happy with the test car colour combination. The spice colours are only available with bi-tone black paint and this works a treat.

At 3,700mm, the Aygo X is 235mm longer than its predecessor, although the wheelbase has been increased by just 90mm.

The car feels spacious inside though the rear seats are those of a small car and no one could pretend otherwise. But the five-door test car made for easy rear-seat access.

The retractable canvas top has been designed using “high-quality materials normally found on premium models”, with the canvas top offering “improved water and dust protection”. It’s fitted as standard to the Limited Edition model and is available as an option on Edge and Exclusive grades.

Drivers stay connected with their Aygo X via Toyota Smart Connect and the MyT smartphone app.

Toyota Smart Connect is provided on Exclusive and Limited Edition models. Its core features are a 9in high-definition touchscreen display, featuring ambient lighting and embedded in a centre console with matching colour schemes.

The accompanying MyT smartphone app allows drivers to keep track of various vehicle data and information, such as driving analytics, fuel levels, warning alerts and a vehicle tracker.

Toyota’s latest multimedia system offers cloud-based navigation to provide live route information via always-connected services, via an embedded SIM card.

New software updates and connected services are automatically added via over-the-air updates.

Toyota Smart Connect also provides wired and wireless smartphone connectivity via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

A wireless smartphone-charging tray is provided in Exclusive and Limited Edition models. Seven and 8in multimedia systems are provided on Pure and Edge models respectively; both enable Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, using a wired connection.

The Aygo X is available with full LED lighting technology (Exclusive and Limited Edition grades), making it accessible to more customers.

The Aygo X is powered by Toyota’s one-litre, three-cylinder engine. This has been improved resulting in a fuel consumption rating of 56.5-58.85mpg and 109-110g/km CO2 (manual transmission), or 56.5mpg and 109-114g/km (CVT).

If you want a city car with style, and one that is economic to run, that has all the kit on-board you are likely to need plus that magical sunroof, then the new Aygo X is well worth considering.