New Toyota Aygo X 2025 preview: cheap city car gets mean looks and hybrid tech
The Toyota Aygo X has inherited the hybrid set-up from the Yaris supermini, making the brand's entry model one of Britain's lowest polluters
This is the rather angry-looking new Toyota Aygo X Hybrid. The latest version of the brand’s tiny SUV-inspired city car features the same highly efficient hybrid system as the bigger, more expensive Yaris supermini, yet should remain one of the UK’s most affordable cars.
The Toyota Aygo X Hybrid is due to go on sale later this year, and we’re expecting prices to start from between £18,000 and £19,000. The current model is officially priced from just over £17,000, but there are around 50 brand-new models in stock at dealers around the UK available through our Buy A Car service for close to £14,000.
The Hybrid isn’t a brand-new model, though. Instead, it’s a facelifted version of the Aygo X which was launched in 2022 with the same chunky proportions. But the bonnet, front wings, grille and bumper have all been refreshed, and the car sports a new set of slimmer headlights.
Toyota is also introducing a new GR Sport trim with the updated Aygo X, which adds special 18-inch alloy wheels, sportier styling including a black bonnet, plus specifically tuned suspension from the team behind the hot GR Yaris.
As well as allowing the Aygo X to drive on pure-electric power for some of the time and bringing substantially more power, Toyota’s ‘self-charging’ tech means the new Hybrid is set to become Britain’s lowest polluting car that doesn’t require you to plug it in for a charge, with emissions of just 86g/km of CO2.
Key specs | |
Fuel type | Full-hybrid |
Body style | City car |
Powertrain | 1.5-litre, 3cyl petrol engine plus 1x e-motor, front-wheel drive |
Price | £18,000-£19,000 (est) |
What powertrain options and performance can we expect?
In place of the 71bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine you used to get in the Aygo X is the fuel-sipping hybrid system from the fourth-generation Toyota Yaris and the Yaris Cross. It will be the only powertrain on offer, featuring Toyota's e-CVT automatic transmission, which means there’ll be no manual gearbox option.
Every Aygo X will be powered by a larger 1.5-litre engine and an electric motor that together produce 114bhp and 144Nm of torque. In small car terms, that's a huge boost over the old model and has cut the car’s 0-62mph time down from around 15 seconds to less than 10.
Being able to drive around in the Aygo X using just the electric motor should massively improve its refinement, which has always been one of the car’s shortcomings. To help with that, the new model also has more insulation and certain versions get thicker glass to further reduce noise inside the cabin.
Model | Power | 0-62mph | Top speed |
Toyota Aygo X Hybrid | 114bhp | <10 seconds | TBC |
What do we know about running costs and efficiency?
Toyota says it's too early to confirm how efficient the new Aygo X Hybrid will be, but we think drivers should be able to achieve about 70mpg thanks to the Hybrid 115 set-up – a big improvement over the out-going Aygo X with an automatic transmission, which on paper can average 56.5mpg.
Similarly, the hybrid system has cut the city car’s CO2 emissions down from 109g/km to just 86g/km. For context, the MG3 Hybrid+ emits 100g/km, while range-topping versions of the Kia Picanto emit 128g/km.
The Aygo X should remain relatively inexpensive to insure, although the sizable increase in performance and the addition of the GR Sport version could see the new model sit in a higher insurance group than today's version, which sits in a lowly group five or six (out of 50).
One final point worth mentioning for those shopping around for cars with the lowest environmental impact, the latest Aygo X’s carbon footprint has shrunk by as much as 18 per cent for the latest version, with the new hybrid powertrain and a mix of greener materials and a cleaner production facility all contributing to the big reduction in lifetime CO2.
Model | MPG | CO2 |
Toyota Aygo X Hybrid | 70mpg+ | 86g/km |
What is the exterior and interior design like?
Even Toyota Europe's technical chief Cesar Romero says that the car maker "might have got a bit carried away" with the latest Aygo X Hybrid.
Ensuring it would continue to have “enduring appeal” meant a switch to hybrid power, which posed a big issue for the company. Despite pioneering the tech, Romero says Toyota "doesn't do mild-hybrid" when it comes to small cars – and that's a problem.
Instead of starting from scratch, engineers decided to squeeze a 1.5-litre hybrid engine into a bay that is designed for a little 1.0-litre three-cylinder. This prompted an entirely new front end that sees the tiny SUV's nose stretched by 76mm.
Most people won't notice the new metal, but it all contributes to a visually more imposing, wider stance than before. The design team has also introduced new 17 and 18-inch alloy wheel designs.
Like before, a two-tone colour scheme with a contrasting black roof and rear body, plus a new Mustard yellow colour for the GR Sport, means you'll never lose the Aygo X Hybrid in a car park.
A reconfigured centre console, meanwhile, has been introduced, featuring cooling for the batteries mounted under the rear seats. There's also an electronic parking brake as standard and two new USB-C charging ports, plus a wireless charging pad on select models.
Other useful additions include electric folding mirrors and Toyota's air quality-boosting particulate filter for the climate control, which will be offered on higher-grade models. But you still get physical climate controls below the central touchscreen, while the body-colour sections on the doors add a splash of colour to the plastic-heavy interior. Recycled plastic and fabrics have been used in new seat upholstery materials.
The GR Sport version has been created with the help of the Toyota Gazoo Racing performance division. Available in the aforementioned Mustard paint with a gloss black bonnet, it also features a unique ‘G-pattern’ grille, specific 18-inch alloy wheels and heated GR-branded seats with suede upholstery.
The dedicated suspension set-up involves new springs and dampers to improve handling and body control, without compromising ride comfort, says Toyota. Meanwhile, the recalibrated steering is said to be sharper and the old car's rear brake drums have been swapped out for a set of more powerful disc brakes.
What do we know about the infotainment system?
Every Agyo X now comes with a seven-inch fully digital instrument panel, paired with either a nine-inch touchscreen in base models or a 10.5-inch display in top-spec cars like the one we got to take a look around. They run new infotainment software that looks bang up-to-date, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be standard with both set-ups.
How practical is the Toyota Aygo X Hybrid and how big is the boot space?
The Aygo X is 76mm longer than before, thanks to the nose being extended. However, the car’s wheelbase and cabin are the same, so it’s still just as cramped in the back seats as it was before.
With anyone around six-foot tall sitting up front, adults will struggle (and possibly fail) to squeeze into the back seats. Those that do get in will find it rather gloomy back there too because of the small windows, which only open a tiny amount.
The back seats are really only suitable for small children, and you do get two sets of Isofix mounting points. But the rear doors don’t open a huge amount, which could make fitting a child seat a bit difficult.
At least thanks to some clever packaging, the engineers have managed to accommodate the batteries for the hybrid system while preserving the Aygo X’s 231 litres of boot space – although there is no longer enough space for a space-saver spare wheel. For reference, the Toyota’s boot is bigger than a Fiat 500’s, but other city cars like the Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto can carry more than 250 litres’ worth of stuff.
Dimensions | |
Length | 3,776mm |
Width | 1,740mm |
Height | 1,525mm |
Number of seats | Four |
Boot space | 231 litres |
What safety tech does the Toyota Aygo X Hybrid have?
Toyota has upgraded the Aygo X Hybrid with its latest Toyota Safety Sense driver-assist tech, which includes upgraded autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist and traffic-sign recognition.
There's also a new Emergency Driving Stop System that brings the car safely to a halt if it thinks the driver is not responding. Plus Proactive Driving Assist is now included, and it will automatically steer away from an impact with another object if the driver doesn't react.
For the first time on an Aygo X, over-the-air software updates ensure safety systems will be upgraded during the car’s lifetime.
What will the Toyota Aygo X Hybrid price be?
Order books for the new Toyota Aygo X Hybrid are set to open before the end of 2025, so UK prices and full specifications should be announced in the coming months. But we do know there will be four trim levels to choose from: Icon, Design, Excel and GR Sport.
The bigger engine, more complex hybrid powertrain, extra performance and enhanced equipment and tech are sure to contribute to a not insignificant price increase over the out-going model, which starts from just under £17,000. We expect the new Aygo X Hybrid to start from somewhere around £18k to £19k. That sounds like a lot, but it would be on par with the MG3 Hybrid+.
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