Toyota Agya test drive: Be sure to check out these features

1. It's rather roomy on the inside

We suggest that you to set the driver's seat to your ideal driving position, get out of the Agya, and then scoot in behind the driver's seat to appreciate the copious amounts of rear legroom in the second row. In this segment it's rather hard to find, but the Agya's design, including the floating dashboard effect, enhances the amount of room inside the cabin. The rear seat folds to make more space.

2. Stylish alloy wheels on all models

Every model in the range has 14-inch alloys with 175-65-R14 tyres, instead of dreary steel wheels you would normally find on the entry-level models in the starter-car segment. Another plus is the full-sized (steel) spare wheel which will certainly come in handy when you get into a spot of trouble, especially you're not close to a Toyota dealership. (The space-saver spare wheel variety has to be driven no faster than 80 km/h, which isn't ideal when you're miles away from civilisation.)

3.  Peppy performance from the Agya's 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder engine

It may have only 49kW and 89Nm, but it's an eager little engine that propels the Agya with sufficient zest and efficiency. The Agya is light on its feet, tipping the scales at only, which contributes to a favourable power-to-weight ratio and better performance than you'd expect. If you live at the coast, even better.

4. It feels stable and solid, even at 120 km/h

We recommend that you drive a little further, so you can experience how the Agya feels out on the open road. While the cabin isn't that well-insulated from wind and road noise, the Agya feels planted in the corners and sufficiently fleet-footed when you're flitting through traffic. You won't pick up vibration from the steering wheel or a crashy ride quality which can be an issue in some entry-level cars, when you push the speedometer past the 110 km/h mark. The suspension comprises McPherson struts in front and a torsion beam axle at the back.

5. Toyota Connect and the MyToyota App

All models in the line-up are Toyota Connect ready, enabling your Agya to become a Wi-Fi hotspot, with 15GB of data once-off, and once your car is linked to the downloadable MyToyota App on your phone, you can access a whole host of functions, including a streaming service namely Vodacom's Videoplay. It goes without saying that all of this won't help you much unless you opt for the touchscreen with Apple CarPlay / Android Auto, which isn't a standard feature, unfortunately.

However, once you've opted in for Toyota Connect and you have the app on your phone, you will be able to use these streaming services independently of the Agya as well. Other highlights include making service bookings, renewing your vehicle license, requesting roadside assistance and accessing tracking data / finding your car.

Enjoy your Toyota Agya test drive!