Toyota Aygo X Hybrid (2025 – ) review

People still want small, cheap to run cars but they’re very difficult to build profitably. So, credit to Toyota for sticking with the Aygo X and hybridising it in the name of improved performance and efficiency. Buyers at this level are very price sensitive and cost conscious, though, and the Aygo X Hybrid needs to thread the needle between the starting price of the current one and equivalent Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto and bigger hybrid hatchbacks like the MG3 and Renault Clio. Which will be tricky. In terms of running costs the Aygo X should be very cheap, though. By our maths the combination of petrol and electric power could see 500 miles between fills, so if you’re using it around town trips to the filling station as infrequent as they will cheap given the small fuel tank. Insurance should also be affordable, which will be another big factor for the younger drivers it naturally appeals to.

Toyota has made literally millions of hybrids, and their popularity with Ubers and other working drivers the world over should offer reassurance about the durability of its engineering. While the standard warranty is a regular three years if you commit to servicing at a Toyota dealership cover can extend for to up to 10 years, which looks a decent quid pro quo.

It might be small and seemingly basic but the Aygo X has plenty of big-car safety tech, and the systems have been updated for this new hybrid version. That means the emergency braking system can now detect pedestrians and two-wheeled traffic and there’s expanded scope for steering interventions or reduced acceleration if the car really thinks you’re about to crash. Thankfully, this seems less prone to false alarms than the previous one we lived with, our only moan being Toyota’s conservative nature means disabling annoying speed warnings is a dive into the menus each time you turn it on.

While it has a bit of crossover swagger make no mistake – the Aygo X is a teeny car by modern standards, the boot is on the small side and, once you squeeze through the narrow rear door opening, room in the back is tight. But for the young commuters, empty nesters or first car owners it’s aimed at it’ll be just fine as an urban runaround, and you can squeeze a couple of mates in the back for short distances. And for driver and front-seat passenger there’s actually plenty of space. Nor is the Aygo X confined to the city limits, as we appreciated when we lived with it. Ride quality is really good, the little Toyota zipping over Berlin’s cobbles and tram tracks without any fuss whatsoever and with surprising comfort and refinement on bigger roads as well. Now it’s got the power to keep pace on motorways you could happily go longer distances in it as well.

We drove the Aygo X on an early European preview event, and at the time of writing Toyota UK hadn’t confirmed trim levels, pricing or equipment. But we do know a fresh range of spice-themed paint options carries over, the two-tone contrast between these brighter colours and the black elements of the body an appealing Aygo X signature. For the first time there will also be a GR Sport version, which isn’t any faster but does get slightly stiffer suspension, branded trimmings and an even brighter yellow over black option we really liked the look of. On the inside there’s a new and bigger digital driver display, the rather bulbous central dashboard carrying the touch-screen for phone, navigation and other infotainment needs. This is smaller on more basic grades, fancier trims getting a 10.5-inch screen while Android users can now ditch the cables and connect wirelessly as Apple devices already could. A thumping JBL speaker system and large fabric sunroof are also on the options list.

Maybe it’s a generational thing but we loved the combination of five-speed manual gearbox and revvy petrol-only engine in the previous Aygo X, even if for all the noise and commotion it didn’t get you anywhere fast. The hybrid is much more grown-up and the spec sheet shows power for is increased by more than half as much again while the 0-62mph time has been slashed from a comedically slow 15 seconds to less than 10. Numbers are only half the story, though, and what you really notice is the silent whoosh of electric power getting you off the line, propelling you for short distances when there is sufficient juice in the battery and then filling in for the 1.5-litre petrol motor at higher speeds. This still makes a bit of a racket when it does kick in while Toyota’s preferred type of automatic gearbox means the revs don’t always rise and fall in sync with your road speed. This can be a bit odd but it all works well in point-and-squirt city traffic, which is just as well because it’s now the only gearbox option on the Aygo X.