Car News
Car Reviews
Cars for Sale
Car Discussion

Its name stems from a combination of the two syllables ‘I’ and ‘go’, to symbolise freedom and mobility. The AYGO has been designed to offer independence for a new European generation. This refers to the type of active and urban individual who likes to just get up and go, taking full advantage of an environment where borders and distances are practically non-existent. Plus, it offers a quality superior to any other car in the sub-B segment. In short, the AYGO is about easy, yet dynamic, urban mobility.

In July, the AYGO will be introduced to the key metropolitan areas of Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Prague, Rome and Rotterdam – these are the cities with the highest density of young adults. In September, Brussels and Dublin will follow, and, one month later, the rest of Europe will experience the AYGO way.

Toyota wants to adopt a different lifecycle management approach, where new initiatives will be conducted every six months. For instance, a new diesel engine will be available from the beginning of 2006. Furthermore, Toyota is planning to launch several special editions, combining new colours with other unique features.

Design
Rejecting commonly held stereotypes that compact should only mean pragmatic and economical, the dynamic design of the AYGO re-defines the perceptions of what small can be. The AYGO is also very much a Toyota car. Hence, certain design features like the bulge on the bonnet around the Toyota badge, or the triangular quarter window, help bring out the Toyota in the AYGO. Dynamic architecture is key to the AYGO’s design and it’s this that sets it apart from all other urban vehicles.

The AYGO designers had the speedboat cabin in mind when they styled the interior. The design tries to capture some of these qualities - mainly the sporting side and fun aspect, as well as comfort and high quality. Colour and trim are based on the concept of “Innovative and Accessible”. Inspired by sportswear, the material is not just extra-durable, but the quality and texture hints at “premium”.

Practicality and equipment
The AYGO impresses with a long wheelbase and the shortest overhangs among direct competitors, allowing for a much better use of interior space. The distance between front and rear hip-point is also the biggest in comparison with direct competitors.

The luggage compartment offers 139 litres of space. This is further complemented by 25 litres of storage offered by door pockets, 8 trays, 3 cupholders and a coin case.

The AYGO customer can choose between the AYGO and the upgraded AYGO+ (Plus). Both come with a generous range of goodies as standard. The AYGO comes standard with ABS and electric power steering, something still unusual in the sub-B segment.

Keyless entry, power windows and central locking are added as standard on the AYGO+. Furthermore, four enhancement packs have been developed to create the ideal AYGO+ for every customer.


Body and chassis
With only 3,405 mm body length, the AYGO is the one of the shortest 4-seaters on the market. If you add to that a very tight turning radius (4.73 m), this means the new AYGO has all it takes to manoeuvre around narrow city streets, taking those tight parking spots where not many other cars can fit in.

The front suspension is derived from the Toyota Yaris, but adapted to the requirements of this platform. At the rear, we can find a torsion beam, but adopting an inverted-V profile - a solution that brings considerable advantages in weight and torsional stiffness.

All AYGOs come standard with Electric Power Steering (EPS), which is also speed-sensitive. Furthermore, the EPS is up to 3% more fuel-efficient than a conventional hydraulic system.

The AYGO’s braking system is fitted with 247 mm ventilated discs at the front and 200 mm drums at the rear. These are complemented by the latest generation Bosch ABS8, featuring an EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution) system.

Powertrains
Toyota engineers developed a brand new 1.0-litre VVT-i petrol engine, adopting a 3-cylinder configuration. This lightweight unit weighs only 67 kg, which makes it the lightest internal combustion engine on the car market today. In addition, it is not only the most powerful 1.0-litre around (68 DIN hp/50 kW), but is also class-leading in specific torque (93 Nm at 3600 rpm). When equipped with the 1.0-litre, the AYGO’s combined fuel consumption is the
segment’s lowest for petrol engines, at 4.6 litres per 100 kilometres. The same can be said for CO2 emissions – only 109 g/km.

At the beginning of 2006, the Toyota AYGO will also be available with a 1.4-litre diesel engine, supplied by PSA Peugeot Citroën. The 1.0-litre VVT-i engine will be available with a Multi-mode Manual Transmission (M-MT), Toyota’s manual transmission driven directly by electric
motors.

Safety
Toyota aims to achieve an excellent impact protection score in the sub-B segment with the AYGO. The car features Toyota’s own Minimal Intrusion Cabin System (MICS), a safety structure that effectively reduces the risk of serious injury during impact.

The sturdy safety structure is complemented by front, side and curtain (front and rear) airbags. Front airbags come standard on every model and side and curtain airbags are available as of the entry grade.

Although a rare feature in the segment, the AYGO offers on all its versions a driver seatbelt warning system (with buzzer reminder) as standard.

The AYGO’s headlights have a class-leading illumination range - more than 80 metres (low beam) - providing a safer night cruising around city spots. Other items, like a passenger airbag cut-off switch, rearview mirrors with interior adjustment, rear wiper and defogger, are also standard for all models, contributing to a higher level of safety.

Source: Internal