Here Aygo again!

Being a permanent resident in the picturesque town of Hermanus, I don’t go away on holiday much. Every year, come December holiday time, I prepare for the yearly onslaught of Vaalie holiday makers and other leisure-seekers from Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Somerset-West and Paarl. I stock up on meat (prices rise steeply just before the tourists come) and other necessities, so I don’t need to venture to the shops. The problem with ‘quickly’ popping out for a loaf of bread is (a) finding parking, (b) waiting in queues at stop streets, (c) trying to cross an intersection, or (d) trying to escape when some owner of a GP number plate has parked me in. The solution? A set of wheels that takes up the minimum amount of space, is cheap to run, and is manoeuvrable around my overpopulated town. Enter the new Toyota Aygo, from a very reasonable R 138 900, until December 31st.

The recently launched Aygo with a bold X across its nose, is substantially better-looking than the previous model - I might go as far as calling it ‘sexy’. It is aimed at younger, urban customers such as students, but as a second car for a young family or runabout for a single parent with small kids, it has just as much appeal. Even the senior citizens will be delighted by its generous specification level, especially safety: The Aygo has ABS, EBD and brake assist, as well as flashing emergency brake lights and fog lamps in the rear. And if Junior in the back removes his safety belt, a cacophonous beeping will ensue. Then there are four airbags - not something you see in this price range, very often. The Kia Picanto 1.0 LX (R 144 995) only has two, with no ABS to speak of. Another contender is the VW Up! (at R 140 000) for the entry-level take up! 1.0 derivative. It has four airbags and similar safety equipment to the Aygo, but only three doors, where the Aygo has five. The Aygo’s biggest drawcard is probably its Toyota badge, yet Toyota added even more tech to truly make the Aygo a value proposition.

The blood-red Aygo with its contrasting black roof, arrived at my house early December. By the second week it had already seen plenty of holiday action. It’s first task was some heavy duty shopping for my daughter’s 8th birthday beach party. It also included driving  between the outskirts of town and back, multiple times per day. And this is where a sub-1.0 litre engine comes in handy - once the Christmas shopping has obliterated your bank balance, you need not fork out excessively for fuel. My urban consumption averaged around 6.3 litres per 100 km most of the time - not the 4.4 litres that Toyota claims, but decent enough.

Soon afterwards, the day arrived for the beach party. How many 7-year olds can you fit into a Toyota Aygo? At standstill, quite a few. But if you’re going to drive somewhere: three can very comfortably sit in the back. Then there’s one in front, with one 37-year old behind the wheel. Legroom for adults in the rear is minimal, so realistically, the back seat is suitable mostly for the little ones. The glass-lid boot is small, but the seats can be folded (50/50) if space is needed. Beach paraphernalia like the slightly bigger umbrellas and a foldable table went across the back seat, in a separate journey to the beach. But when we went home, all the kids’ beach bags, towels and gift boxes fit into the boot with room to spare.

So far, the Aygo is proving to be the ideal holiday companion if you don’t need two weeks’ worth of luggage per person. Yes, there are a few small niggles, such as the tinny-sounding doors and the little engine that runs out of steam a little too soon. But the perks are aplenty. In the A-segment, the Multimedia x-touch infotainment system with its colour screen is a real luxury, and it’s standard in every Aygo. But this is not the end of our journey. We had plenty more holiday adventures (including a road trip) in the new Aygo, and will keep you, our valued reader, posted.

Facts & Figures

Price	: R 139 900 (Until 31 December 2015, please see below)*
Engine	: 3.0-cylinder petrol, 998 cc
Power	: 51 kW
Torque	: 95 Nm
Top speed	: 160 km/h
0 to 100 km/h	: 14.2 seconds
Fuel tank	: 35 litres
Realistic fuel consumption	: 5.8 - 6.5 litres per 100 km
Boot size	: 168 litres
Warranty	: 3 years / 100 000 km
Service Plan	: Optional
Also consider	: Peugeot 107 1.0 Urban, VW take up! 1.0

* There has been a price increase for 2016 Aygo models: The entry level Aygo now retails for R 141 700 and X-Play derivatives for R 144 100.