Its emphasis on infotainment, affordable cost of ownership and cute styling are all massive plus points for its younger target audience. Now though, Toyota has added another dimension to the Aygo by introducing the X-Cite variant, which features a folding fabric roof.
Entering a niche
The X-Cite isn’t the first small, affordable city car to feature a folding fabric roof. If you remember the now locally defunct Citroen C1 Airscape, with which the Aygo shares its platform as well as the outgoing Fiat 500C, all of which offer open-top driving with the added benefit of retaining their structural integrity by having a fixed roof. That being said, with the popularity of Toyota locally, the X-Cite could be the first vehicle of this type to achieve relatively significant sales figures.
Did Toyota pull it off?
Having driven the car for a short period, and using the retractable roof each time, I’m happy to report that it provides a relatively satisfying open-top driving sensation, while the operation of the roof is slick with a one touch operation to open, and two clicks to close.
X-Cite, with spec
The X-Cite manages to come in at under R200 000 with a retail price of R189 500, undercutting rivals such as the Volkswagen up! Beats and the base Fiat 500C.
For your money, you get quite a bit of standard kit which includes a colour touchscreen infotainment system with four-speaker sound. The system places a big emphasis on looking more youthful and smartphone-oriented in its user interface and display versus a Corolla or Yaris for example. The system comes with Bluetooth, which is seriously easy to pair your phone with, as well as a USB/AUX/12V slots for media and device charging.
Other niceties include a multi-function steering wheel with audio and telephone controls, 15-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights as well as an information display within the instrument cluster that provides trip and fuel consumption information. Another handy feature is Hill Assist Control, a system that holds the vehicle in place when pulling off on an incline, not exactly new technology, but good to see in a more budget-friendly car.
Safety
For any parent, and indeed any youngster, the safety provided by your means of transportation should always be a factor in your purchasing decision.
In the case of the Aygo, you get front, side and curtain airbags, ABS with Brake Assist, Vehicle Stability Control, an immobiliser and central locking along with a sturdy structure in terms of its impact absorption. The car also achieved a four-star Euro NCAP crash rating back in 2015.
Powering Aygo
All local Aygo models are powered by a 1.0-litre 51kW/95Nm three-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine, which, when combined with the 855kg kerb weight, should provide respectable propulsion. From my experience piloting the car for a few days though, the small motor felt a bit overwhelmed, especially with the air-conditioning activated and the power loss associated with high altitude driving.
Where the Aygo does excel is in the fuel consumption department, despite me not achieving the 4.4-litres/100km claim. I did manage 5.2-litres/100km, which is fantastic considering the urban nature of my driving.
Verdict
Toyota is certainly niche-hunting with a soft-top budget car, but in an era where the consumer wants their car to be different from the establishment, the Aygo X-Cite provides something distinct. Couple its unique roof with the fact that it wears a popular badge, and I feel that we might be seeing quite a few on our roads soon.
