Toyota Aygo X review
From £16,845
Toyota’s city car has swapped pure petrol power for a hybrid. Does that turn it into a rival for new EV city cars?
Published:
22 September 2025
- Introduction
- Design & styling
- Interior
- Engines & performance
- Ride & handling
- MPG & running costs
- Verdict
- Prices & specs
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- Introduction
- Design & styling
- Interior
- Engines & performance
- Ride & handling
- MPG & running costs
- Verdict
- Prices & specs
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Initially, this might appear a minor facelift of the Toyota Aygo X, with a slightly restyled front end, some new colours and trim, and a largely untouched interior. Far from it. Under the skin Toyota has, quite literally, crammed in the changes: it’s basically a new machine miraculously shoehorned into the body of an existing one.
Before explaining what has changed on the city car, let’s explain why: 86mpg. That was the remarkable indicated fuel economy – achieved without any hypermiling efforts – that my Aygo X test car achieved after an extended test loop covering city streets, country roads and autobahn near Berlin, even exceeding the already impressive 76.3mpg official figure. Efficient? There are teetotal camels that sup more liquid than an Aygo X.
That efficiency – and the car’s low 85g/km CO2 emissions – is why Toyota has swapped the Aygo X’s old 1.0-litre three-pot petrol engine for the 1.5-litre hybrid deployed in the Toyota Yaris. And that makes the Aygo X unique: it’s the only ‘full’ hybrid in the city car class, and is intended to make the machine an alternative to the growing rank of small electric cars (not to mention helping Toyota’s fleet emission targets).
Given small petrol cars have felt like an endangered species in recent years – with safety and emissions regulations pushing up costs and eroding profit margins, while consumer demand shifts towards bigger SUVs – it’s an interesting proposition. So can the Aygo X conquer both petrol and electric rivals while helping to save a struggling class?
Verdict
Model tested:
Rating:
Toyota Aygo X
Good
Hugely impressive fuel economy
Reasonably fun to drive
Feels well-appointed and finished for a city car
Bad
Price remains an unknown, but is set to increase
Still not the most dynamic of vehicles
As with many city cars, space in the back and boot is limited
DESIGN & STYLING
Pros
The only full hybrid in the city car class
Neat design adds hybrid powertrain without compromising interior space
Revamped front end has a bit more dynamism to it
Cons
Has grown in weight, although it’s still lighter than most small EVs
Now only offered as a hybrid, with pure petrol no longer available
Finding a way to squeeze a hybrid into a city car – without increasing the 2430mm wheelbase or impinging on space in the cabin or 231-litre boot – took Toyota’s European engineering team almost two years. That also explains why the rest of the updates are in very much mild facelift territory: with this car purely aimed for the European region, Toyota put all its time and effort into the revamped powertrain.
The Aygo X has grown by 76mm to 3776mm, with all of the additional length ahead of the front angle to stretch the bonney so the larger 1.5-litre engine will fit. That was also used as an excuse to give the Aygo X a new-look front end, which is intended to be a bit more aggressive and bring it into line with other new Toyota designs. Little else has changed with the exterior design, which retains its two-tone colours, although there’s a new palette inspired by spices. We quite liked our Cinnamon Spice test car. The new GR Sport version is offered in an exclusive shade called Mustard. Spicy.
If cramming in the engine was tough for Toyota’s engineers, fitting the electric powertrain elements was even more challenging. The two battery cell modules are stacked in the Yaris and other cars featuring the system, but in the Aygo X have been placed longitudinally under the rear seats. The cooling system, normally next to the battery, is now below the front part of the rear seats, while the auxiliary battery is moved under the boot floor.
Entirely new electronic control units (ECUs) were fitted, both allowing for better hybrid control and the addition of a new 7in driver info display. The revised layout creates room for a new air conditioning system, so higher trims gain dual-zone climate control.
The hybrid increases the car’s weight by 140kg – although at 1090kg it’s still several weight divisions below most EV rivals – but does lower the centre of gravity by 40mm. To cope with the extra mass, Toyota has reworked the suspension with new springs and dampers, retuned the vehicle stability control, added new five-bolt wheel hubs and fitted new brakes that work with the regen system.
The switch from a pure petrol to a hybrid powertrain means that the Aygo X is no longer offered with manual and automatic gearboxes: instead it features Toyota’s ubiquitous e-CVT.
INTERIOR
Pros
Spacious front and well-designed dashboard layout
Materials aren’t exactly luxurious, but everything is solid and well-built
Offers many features normally only available in larger cars
Cons
Space in the rear seats is notably tight
Boot remains small, as with many class rivals
Inside, little has changed from the previous Aygo X, which is fine: within the constraints of a sub-four-metre city car, there wasn’t much wrong previously.
The new-generation model that launched in 2022 felt notably more upmarket than previous Aygo offerings, closer in comfort and quality to a traditional supermini than a cost-conscious city car.
There’s a reasonable amount of space up front and decent legroom, while the two front passengers aren’t too close together. There’s a narrow centre console with two cupholders and a wireless phone charging pad, and reasonably sized storage cubbies in the doors.
The dashboard has a welcome dash of colour, giving it a bit of life, and while there are plenty of hard plastics everything is practical, solid and well-built. There are some elements of exposed metalwork inside the car, but only in small amounts and it feels an acceptable compromise.
The new-look driver intro display works nicely, and the touchscreen is perfectly usable. Toyota’s infotainment has come a long way in recent generations, and while not class leading is simple to use and straightforward to navigate.
Supplementing the screen there are plenty of proper buttons, including a veritable phalanx on the steering wheel. There are only a handful of air vents in the front dashboard, but again you’d expect some compromises given the size of car.
A canvas roof will continue to be offered on some trim levels, which is a nice option on this sort of car.
The boot isn’t vast, but at 231 litres is competitive with similarly-sized rivals. The drawback is in the rear seats, which really are only suitable for children or very limited use. Still, it’s remarkable that the space back there has barely been compromised by the large hybrid lurking under the rear bench: if you get your tape measure out you might just notice the rake of the seats has been altered.
The new hybrid system does require a tunnel running through the middle of the car’s rear footwell which would make life difficult for anyone trying to squeeze into what middle seat there is.
ENGINES & PERFORMANCE
Pros
Big increase in power makes Aygo X more agreeable to drive
Hybrid powertrain is smoother and quieter than previous petrol
Notably faster in a straight line than before
Cons
Electric city cars still offer more zip and refinement
Whine of the e-CVT can still annoy
The hybrid system doesn’t just make the Aygo X more economical: it now produces 114bhp, up from the 1.0 petrol’s 71bhp, with torque up from 69 to 104lb ft. The 0-62mph time drops from 14.9secs to 9.2secs. That’s still not exactly fast in the real world, but it is the difference between being able to hold its own when accelerating onto a motorway, and feeling woefully slow to react, as was the case previously.
The Aygo X previously offered a relatively engaging chassis tempered by modest performance, and it clearly enjoys the extra power. It’s not exactly a pocket rocket, but it has an agreeable pep perfect for zipping around cities, and can hold its own on faster roads. It’s more refined too: yes, there’s the distinct whine of an e-CVT hybrid, but it’s far preferable to the gruff protestations of a strained 71bhp triple.
Toyota has gone all in on the hybrid system, and will no longer offer the Aygo X with the 1.0-litre petrol engine. So if you really want a pure petrol engine, you’ll need to look at used Aygo X models.
RIDE & HANDLING
Pros
Rides and handles more like a supermini than a city car
Maintains composure on most road surfaces
Small size and wheelbase makes it easy to place
Cons
Ride can be jostly, as with many city cars
Steering lacks huge amounts of driver engagement
The Aygo X made a huge step forward in ride and handling when it moved onto a modified version of Toyota’s TNGA-B platform shared with the Yaris; it was substantially stiffer than the platform previously used.
While that hybrid has added extra weight, as noted above a major focus of development was to adjust the suspension to cope witjh that. There’s a limit to the level of dynamism a car such as this will offer, but a relatively light car with compact dimensions and a short wheelbase will generally be capable of entertaining, and that’s certainly the case here.
You’ll rarely struggle for grip, and on 18in wheels our test car’s ride held up on all but the most broken roads. It’s more in line with many superminis than some city car rivals.
The steering isn’t wildly engaging, but it’s light and direct which is what you want for this sort of car. And really, for a city car brief the Aygo X delivers well in terms of offering easy, consistent and reliable driving.
For the first time the Aygo X will be offered with a GR Sport version, which features bespoke styling elements and returned shock absorbers, springs and steering. Don’t get too excited: you really have to go hunting for extra sportiness, but nor does the whiff of extra stiffness hamper the ride: it might even be marginally better. Small difference though. If you like the styling, go for it.
MPG & RUNNING COSTS
Pros
We averaged 86mpg on our test route
Seriously, 86 mpg!
EIGHTY. SIX. MPG.
Cons
Set to be more expensive than previous car
The introduction to this report kind of gave the surprise away for this section, but the fuel economy of the Aygo X is seriously impressive. Even if the 86mpg figure I achieved on my test route was the result of pleasant weather, light traffic and well-honed late prototype test cars, it shows that official 76.3mpg figure is entirely realistic.
You won’t find any petrol city cars that offer similar fuel economy. In fact, the nearest rivals on the market – we’re going to ignore the largely hypothetical MPG figures of plug-in hybrids here – are the Yaris and Yaris Cross, which both edge above 70mpg.
That means you won’t have to fill up the 30-litre fuel tank very often, and should put running costs into a price bracket where they hold up quite well to electric rivals – depending on where you can plug in to get your electricity, of course.
VERDICT
Verdict
Model tested:
Rating:
Toyota Aygo X
Good
Hugely impressive fuel economy
Reasonably fun to drive
Feels well-appointed and finished for a city car
Bad
Price remains an unknown, but is set to increase
Still not the most dynamic of vehicles
As with many city cars, space in the back and boot is limited
The Aygo X ticks a lot of city cars boxes, but the big question remains the price. When we road tested the Aygo X in 2022 the circa £16,000 list was a sticking point – hybrid power is likely to push that close to £20,000. Quite punchy for a city car.
Then again, a lot has changed since 2022 to shift perspectives, and with its focus on low-emission, ultra-efficient motoring the Aygo X is pitched against more expensive EV city cars such as the Renault 5 as much as petrol rivals like the Hyundai i10. Through that prism a £20,000 price feels almost competitive.
More information needed for a final verdict, then. Still, there’e plenty to like here: the Aygo X is small, economical and practical and, pleasingly, an innovative way forward for a category of vehicles that has long been under threat.
TECHNICAL SPECS
Price:
£20,000 approx
Model tested:
Toyota Aygo X
Engine:
3 cyls, 1490cc, petrol, plus electric motor
Driveline layout:
FWD
Transmission:
e-CVT
RivalsHyundai i10Renault 5
Power
114bhp at 5500rpm
Torque
104lb ft @3800-4800rpm
0-62mph – claimed
9.2secs
Top speed (claimed)
107mph
Fuel economy
76.3mpg (WLTP)
CO2
85g/km
