► Aygo X now uses a hybrid powertrain
► Smallest hybrid car in UK
► But there’s no more manual!
Toyota has given its tiny Aygo X a mid-life update, swapping out its small petrol engine for the hybrid powertrain from the Yaris.
It will be the smallest full hybrid car on sale in the UK when it arrives later in 2025, though does mean that another car with a manual gearbox bites the dust as the current 1.0-litre naturally aspirated unit is discontinued.
Though many manufacturers have pulled out of the city car ‘A-segment’, Toyota remains committed, and has sold almost 300,000 since its 2022 introduction.
The Aygo X will use the same 114bhp 1.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid setup from the larger and more expensive Yaris and Yaris Cross, though has been adapted because of the Aygo’s tight packaging.
The two stacks of battery cells are positioned alongside each other underneath the rear seats, rather than Toyota’s usual parallel arrangement, and the auxiliary battery is now found under the boot storage to not impede on space.
The setup puts out 114bhp, a significant 43bhp more than before, with Toyota saying 0-62ph takes ‘less than 10 seconds’. Fuel economy figures beyond 70mpg are also expected, while Toyota says it will have CO2 emissions of 86g/km, the lowest of any car that doesn’t need to be plugged in.
A big improvement in drivability is expected, with the previous 1.0-litre engine really having to be thrashed to get any performance from it – think cheap Spanish hire car and you’ll get the idea. Toyota says it also made the Aygo quieter and more comfortable with more noise insulation included, particularly on top-spec model which get thicker glass.
The Aygo X also gets a new front end with sharp new LED headlights and a new front bumper, which also gives the car a 76mm longer front overhang to accommodate the larger hybrid powertrain.
It also gets a new bonnet, while a retractable canvas roof remains available as an option. Its colours are also inspired by ‘mellow spices’, with Cinnamon, Jasmine, Tarragon and Lavendar colours all introduced.
Toyota is also introducing a GR Sport trim level. Said to ‘inspired by its motorsport teams’, we’ll have to reserve judgement to see if there’s more to it than just its two-tone colour scheme, black bonnet, specific grille and GR Sport alloy wheels.
Toyota does promise it’s more fun to drive courtesy of redesigned suspension and a sharper response from the power steering. Did someone say GR Aygo X hot hatch?
By mid-life facelift standards, the Aygo X’s revisions are pretty significant, though changes to the interior are more limited.
A seven-inch digital instrument cluster is introduced, while the heater control panel has been borrowed from the Yaris. A new wireless smartphone charger is also fitted to higher-spec cars.
You’ll have to wait until the end of 2025 to get your hands on the new Aygo X, with prices and specifications still to be announced.
Expect a healthy increase on top of the outgoing car’s £16,845 starting price. We expect it to be available from around £20,000, usefully undercutting the entry-level Yaris’s £23,445 price.
Senior staff writer, car reviewer, news hound, avid car detailer.
By Ted Welford
Senior staff writer at CAR and our sister website Parkers. Loves a car auction. Enjoys making things shiny