Toyota unveils facelifted Aygo
With SUVs and crossovers being so much the dominant vehicle style in the current market, it could be easy to forget about subcompact city cars like the Toyota Aygo. Well, Toyota isn't forgetting about the Aygo, as it's just unveiled a newly facelifted version that will be on display at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March.
It's now four years since the current second-generation version of the Aygo was launched, so it's about the right time for the tiny Toyota to get refreshed interior and exterior styling updates and some mild improvements to the car's performance.
Images released by the Japanese auto giant show the front fascia of the Aygo retains the familiar X-shaped profile, but it also reveals a good deal of change. Some now almost ubiquitous LED headlights are situated on top of new pieces of faux grille trim, and the grille itself has a more prominent style with an updated front apron that now houses fog lights.
The side profile of the car remains unchanged, but we do see some new taillights, and there will also be a new range of alloy wheel and paint color options this time around.
Interior enhancements are a little more subtle and include new graphics for the instrument cluster as well as new interior trim and seat fabric options to complement the refreshed exterior design, wheels and colors.
What's probably more interesting is the fact that enhancements for the new model year are not restricted purely to aesthetics, and that's because the refreshed Aygo also gets some mechanical tweaking to improve fuel efficiency and performance.
Under the bonnet will still be the same three-cylinder 1.0-liter engine, but it's now been updated to comply with the very latest Euro 6.2 standard for vehicle emissions. The enhancements made to the unit will see the power output rise by 2 bhp to 71 bhp, and while the maximum torque rating of 93 Nm at 4,400rpm is the same as before, the manufacturer claims the torque delivery at lower revs is noticeably stronger than it has been up to now. Although they are Toyota's own figures and not an independent source, the combined fuel economy improves from the previous 68.9 mpg to a new high of 72.4 mpg.
