Toyota Aygo facelift makes Geneva Motor Show debut
Fresh faced Toyota Aygo gains new styling cues, cabin updates and mild performance improvements
Toyota has brought its new Aygo to the Geneva Motor Show – a facelift of the firm’s city car arriving four years after the introduction of the second-generation model.
Though the car’s face is still recognisable and keeps its X-shaped profile, plenty of design changes arrive. New LED headlights sit above freshly added faux grille trim pieces, while the grille itself is much more emphasised with horizontal slats and a tweaked front apron, which is home to newly housed fog lights.
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Little down the flanks of the car has changed, but around the back a new set of taillights are found. Alongside these tweaks, Toyota has introduced a new range of alloy wheels and paint colour options, too.
Changes in the cabin are less dramatic. The instrument cluster gains new graphics, and accompanying the new exterior finishes will be fresh interior trim options and new seat fabrics.
The Aygo’s update isn’t just limited to design either – some mechanical revisions have been made in a bid to improve fuel economy and performance. It uses the same 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine as before, though Toyota says it has been updated to meet the latest Euro 6.2 emission standards.
The engine itself now boasts a higher compression ratio, and includes a new dual fuel injector system, a cooled exhaust gas recirculation system, and additional low-friction components. Toyota says it has improved the balancer shaft too, for less vibration at idle.
With these changes, claimed power rises by 2bhp to 71bhp, and while the maximum torque of 93Nm at 4,400rpm remains unchanged, Toyota says that torque delivery at lower revs is stronger than before. By Toyota’s own figures combined fuel economy climbs from 68.9mpg to 72.4mpg, and while it’s claimed to be cleaner too, no revised CO2 figure has been released.
Alongside the new balancer shaft, additional tweaks aimed at improving comfort include new sound absorption behind the dashboard, front pillars, doors and rear deck, and the suspension and steering systems have been modified too. The new car will hit UK showrooms later this year, with full UK specifications to be outlined closer to its on sale date.
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