Compact hatchback infotainment Comparison – Toyota Aygo vs KIA Picanto vs Volkswagen Polo Vivo

By Chad Lückhoff

With R200 000 to spend, we look at some of the more youthful offerings to see how their infotainment systems compare.

Compact hatch infotainment

With a cap of R200 000, there is a surprising amount of tech available at your disposal. We look at how the fresh and funky Toyota Aygo X-Cite compare to the Volkswagen Polo Vivo and KIA Picanto Smart in this comparison of infotainment systems.

Toyota Aygo 1.0 X-Cite - R195 000

3.5/5

The Aygo 1.0 X-Cite is Toyota's range-topping offering in the Aygo range and as such come with the best infotainment system one will find in the Aygo. It uses a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a bright and vibrant menu design. While some may prefer a more sleek look to the layout, the various colours and friendly icons match the youthful nature of the Aygo.

The menu is easy to navigate through with minimal sub-menus although we find that some items are located in illogical places, requiring a little exploring before one locates the function one desires. This unit has inputs for USB and Aux cables and is Bluetooth enabled with audio streaming and telephony. There are no CD player capabilities on this unit.

The screen is flanked on one side by a rotary volume/power knob with a rotary tune/select dial below that. Pressing the select dial will bring up the home screen where you can access the rest of the features. Steering wheel controls are simplistic but easy to use with volume and track skip on the left with a mode button below while the right-hand side handles telephone functions.

Kia Picanto 1.0 Smart - R188 495 

4/5

The KIA Picanto offers a considerable amount of infotainment for the price tag. The Smart models are equipped with a sleek, comprehensive 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system. This unit has a logical, tile-based menu system with an intuitive flow. This unit allows for USB, AUX and Bluetooth connectivity but is devoid of a CD player.

The Picanto Smart infotainment system trumps the competitors by offering both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (although the local functionality of Android Auto is limited) with voice-activated controls so that your hands never have to leave the wheel.

Steering wheel controls cater for a multitude of functions including telephony, volume, track skip, mode and voice control. Smart models are also equipped with a reverse camera that is displayed on the infotainment screen.

Volkswagen Polo Vivo hatch 1.4 Comfortline - R196 800

2/5

Keeping the price as close to the competitors sees the Volkswagen Polo Vivo 1.4 Comfortline in the crosshairs. While the Highline derivative offers a more complex infotainment system, the price is escalated to over the R220 000 mark, thus placing it out of range. The Comfortline has to make do with only the Radio 140G system where the additional premium sees the Highline fitted with a Composition Media system. As such, the Comfortline only offers basic radio functionality without a touchscreen interface.

The Radio 140G offers a single-colour LCD display with AM/FM, CD, USB, AUX, SD Card and Bluetooth capabilities. A bank of tactile buttons rests below the unit for controls such as Phone, AM, FM, and track skip while two rotary dials control volume/power and tune/scroll functions.

Steering wheel controls are included for track skip, mode, volume and telephone control.

The Polo Vivo Comfortline can be specced with a higher-end Radio 340G unit that incorporates a larger touchscreen and includes App Connect. Alternative Volkswagen offerings include the VW Up! In this price range.