Toyota Aygo X Edge

What is it?

Yes, yes, I know some of you will look at this and wonder what the heck I’m thinking allowing a chunked-up city car within the pages of a 4x4 magazine! Being honest it intrigued me, I think it looks cool and I really wanted to experience the fun factor that is the Aygo X.

It may have the Aygo moniker, but the Aygo X (pronounced Aygo Cross), sits on a shortened version of the current Toyota Yaris platform which makes it a bit bigger than the average Aygo. That said, at just over 3.7m long it’s still not what you’d call huge.

On the road

Churning out 71bhp from its 1.0-litre three-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine, the Aygo X reminds me of Suzuki’s Jimny, it’s a compact and fun little car that makes mincemeat of city and local driving. It’s agile, too, the tight turning circle and light steering makes low-speed manoeuvres a doddle. The ride is quite firm, but still surprisingly supple, even on fast Welsh roads it felt settled.

On the subject of open country roads, this is where it felt out of its comfort zone, especially when overtaking. This is all down to the CVT automatic doing what a CVT does best, and that’s sucking all the fun out of driving. Floor the throttle to overtake a slower vehicle and as the revs rise lots of noise happens and nowt much else. 0-62mph takes 15.5 seconds, and don’t think it’ll be better with the slick five-speed manual gearbox as it’s only marginally better, I’m told.

As with most other cars, CVT automatics prefer to be driven more sedately and that’s when they come into their own. When taking things more leisurely the Aygo X ambles along quite nicely with very little road noise, even if you go for the retractable fabric roof option - which you should!

Despite the CVT it’s actually quite a lot of fun to throw around corners, the steering feels sharp and there isn’t much in the way of body lean.

During my week I achieved an average of 52.7mpg, which isn’t too bad considering I wasn’t taking my time.

Off road

Nah, despite having chunky plastic wheel arch cladding and an 11mm suspension lift, the Aygo X won’t thank you for taking it off the beaten track, and unlike some of its rivals, the Suzuki Swift and Fiat Panda Cross as examples, it isn’t available with four-wheel drive. Of course that didn’t stop me from exploring a few of the back roads around Lyn Brenig and a quick jaunt on the beach at Black Rock Sands.

Interior

Despite its size there’s a decent amount of space up front for those of us of generous proportions, and finding a comfortable driving position is easy. The seats in the rear are reserved for small people only, and access to them can be described as limited as the rear doors aren’t exactly large, in fact they have popout windows rather than a wind-down mechanism.

Storage space up front is reasonable, with two cupholders, and a tray for phones ahead of the gearlever. The touchscreen and climate controls are angled towards the driver, making them easy to reach.

To keep the weight down there’s plenty of hard, shiny plastics, but I liked that the indicator and wiper stalks have a reassuringly chunky feel, and the steering wheel is covered in quality leather. It has a nice tactile feel where it matters.

With four models to choose from; Pure, Edge, Exclusive, and Air Edition, the safety and equipment list is far from short - see what I did there?

Goodies include, 18” alloy wheels, LED headlights, automatic air-con, automatic wipers, lane assist, cruise control, reversing camera, Emergency Brake assist, and Toyota’s Smart Connect touchscreen with both Apple Carplay and Android Auto. And the list doesn’t end there.

Boot space is limited, obviously, and with the rear seats folded down there’s quite a lip, something to be aware of if you have to put something heavy in the back.

Conclusion

With prices starting from £15, 975 the Aygo X is great value for money, especially when compared to pure electric vehicles. Apart from the lack of oomph, my overwhelming memory will be that it’s a fun and frugal little car to live with, I just wish it had a bit more power.