Toyota Aygo X facelift: subcompact gets hybrid drive

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The Aygo X was previously one of the few Toyota models that was not offered with a hybrid drive. This is now changing with a small model update: the subcompact is now considerably more powerful and slightly longer. According to Toyota, it has the lowest CO₂ emissions of all non-electrified cars. But a few questions remain unanswered, the most pressing of which is probably: where is Toyota actually heading?

Longer, not bigger

With the facelift, Toyota intervened more extensively than is usual for such measures. This seems to have paid off, as the Aygo X has been sold more than 287,000 times in Europe since 2022. At the front, there is no danger of confusion with the current model. At 3.78 meters, the new model is almost eight centimeters longer than before. However, this does not result in more space in the interior or trunk, as only the front overhang is longer. It is doubtful whether Toyota will win any hearts in a segment that is primarily used in urban areas. The wheelbase remains unchanged at 2.43 meters and the trunk has a capacity of 231 liters.

"Exciting driving experience"

A few minor changes are intended to improve comfort. The automatic climate control now has a second temperature zone. In some equipment lines, the smartphone can also be used as a key. A new chassis set-up is intended to improve handling and reduce body roll without compromising comfort. According to Toyota, this ensures an "exciting driving experience". The strategists seem to have come to some fresh conclusions in this respect. Because I would have assumed that the target group is not very interested in excitement on the road.

Hybrid drive from the Yaris

The one-liter three-cylinder engine, which until now had no alternative, has been removed with the facelift. In its place is the 1.5-liter hybrid from the Yaris with 85 kW. The increase of no less than 32 kW should make the subcompact car considerably more spirited and at the same time improve fuel economy. Previously, the Aygo X was specified with 4.8 to 5 liters in the WLTP. There are no binding figures for the new model yet, but we expect consumption figures slightly below those of the larger Yaris. Toyota quotes between 3.8 and 4.2  liters for the Yaris in the WLTP.

More and more competition

In the past, we have repeatedly found with test cars that such values can certainly be achieved in practice – provided the driver does not willfully undermine the ingenious hybrid drive, which simply omits many of the features of conventional drives. In city traffic, however, where an Aygo X will presumably be used most of the time, it can show off its conceptual advantages in a low and variable speed profile. However, the Aygo X is increasingly facing battery-electric competition, which easily outperforms even the hybrid drive in terms of energy consumption.

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Toyota Aygo X 2025 (10 Bilder)

No more price advantage

So far, the subcompact has been able to set itself apart with its prices. This is over in the future. Toyota has not yet named any prices for the revised Aygo X, but it is unlikely to be cheaper than the current model. The official base price is currently 18,090  euros. We expect a big step towards the 20,000  euro mark. From a certain equipment level at the latest, the Aygo X will have to fend off battery-electric competitors such as the BYD Dolphin Surf, Renault Twingo, Citroën ë-C3 and, from the end of 2027, the VW ID.1 and its expected offshoots in the medium term. In this segment in particular, the development of maintenance costs is being carefully calculated. With rising fuel prices and falling electricity costs, it is quite possible that Toyota will not be able to build on the Aygo X's previous success. The future is battery-electric, and Toyota has also come to realize this. At the Kenshiki Forum at the beginning of 2025, the brand presented a range of new electric cars.

(mfz)