Toyota Aygo undergoes cosmetic surgery

By Farzana Chaumoo 

Toyota’s second generation Aygo recently underwent some mild changes to make it appear sharper and more stylish. The revisions also help it keep up with the recently revised VW Up and the all-new Suzuki Swift.

The second generation Aygo, launched four years ago, was put under the knife recently for a mild facelift.

This A-segment car, which forms the third part of the Citroën C1/Peugeot 108 trio, has a new front bumper that is immediately noticeable. It retains the original “X”-motif, into which stronger contour lines were integrated.

It now boasts new, larger projector headlamps that incorporates LED Daytime Running Lights, while the lower section of the front grille has also undergone a slight, discreet revision. Its side profile remains the same, with the exception to the tail lights’ outer lenses, which were changed to coordinate with the new headlights.

Finally, what’s a new look without a new pair of shoes! The Aygo X-Cite receives a set of new diamond-shaped 15-inch alloy wheels with 165-60R15 tyres.

Inside

Keeping to its trendy approach, the Aygo has front bucket seats and a multi-tone fabric trim. Furthermore, there’s a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear lever, which adds to an upmarket feel. More sound-deadening materials have been used to improve the refinement of the cabin, bringing noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) levels down.

Aygo Power

Toyota’s engineers have fine-tuned the 3-cylinder engine to comply with the new Euro 6.2 standard. The award winning 1.0-litre (more accurately, 998 cc) engine gained a whole 2 kW power increase because of this, taking its output to 53 kW with 93 Nm of torque. Meanwhile, the claimed fuel consumption has improved to 4.3 L/100 km, along with reduced carbon emissions.

Safety

Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Hill Assist Control (HAC) will now be available on all Aygo derivatives. This comes in addition to the existing ABS and Brake Assist (BA) functions. The Aygo also has front- and side airbags, along with ISOFIX anchor points and 3-point seatbelts with force limiting and pre-tensioners all round.

Convenience features

This little city car features a touchscreen audio system with USB, Auxiliary and Bluetooth functionality, as well as steering wheel-mounted controls, while smartphone connectivity is made easier through the USB port.

Derivatives

Toyota sells three derivatives of the Aygo, namely the standard, the X-Play and X-Cite. The standard model is for budget-conscious buyers who want solid peace of mind. The X-Play kicks it up a notch with bi-tone colour schemes, and lastly, the range-topping X-Cite will cater to all your needs and even add sunshine in the cabin through the power-retractable black canvas ‘Funroof’. The X-Play roams around on 14-inch wheels while the fancy aforementioned 15-inch wheels can be found on the X-Cite.

The Toyota Aygo is the ultimate trendy city car. It can squeeze in anywhere, it’s easy to maneuver, it’s extremely fuel efficient, and above all else, its very stylish.

Pricing

Aygo	R166,800
Aygo X-Play Black	R169,100
Aygo X-Play Silver	R169,100
Aygo X-Cite	R193,100

All Aygo models come standard with a 3-year/100 000 kilometer warranty. A range of different service plan options are available for purchase from your Toyota dealer.