Toyota Aygo Hatchback 2005 - Present

Launched in 2005 the Toyota Aygo is the Japanese car giant's attempt to squeeze into the city car frame. Aimed at the sex in the city crowd of carefree childless singletons and young urban couples the Aygo is an effective and efficient city runaround.

Inside the car there is a surprising amount of room for four adults to sit in comfort. Both leg and head room are ample for any but the tallest of passenger. The cabin is well laid out and offers good levels of visibility. The seats are firm and functional but nothing more. The finish is somewhat Spartan, but with a car that is this cheap, and will still take you a three mates around town for 60 mpg something had to give and it seems to have been the trimmings. The luggage space is ample and the boot generous for the size of car. There are some good accessories including a Tom Tom navigation system, but the standard model comes with CD player ABS brakes and twin airbags.

In the road the Aygo offers a spirited drive for such a miserly engine, with the three cylinder 1.0 engine offering a surprising amount of guile and performance. It weighs an incredible 67 kg which no doubt helps it get to the top speed, just shy of 100 mph. For motorway journeys you're best off looking at the 1.4 turbodiesel which while it may take a while to get there will hold a steady motorway speed with little problem.

As with all city cars the handling is easy and the steering both precise and light. The suspension handles the bumpiest roads with aplomb but can feel somewhat uneasy when cornering at speed. As you'd expect parking is a breeze and all round the Aygo is a nice, nippy drive.

It was produced in partnership with both Peugeot and Citroen and shares many parts with the C1 and the 107 with the main differences being in the styling. It's the cheapest of the three but with little between the models what car will the public want to buy?

Leave a comment

Type into the box below