• Plenty of room upfront
• Unimpressive boot space
• Cramped for rear-seat passengers

The good news here is that the Aygo X offers plenty of space for front seat occupants. We found plenty of head and legroom, even for taller drivers. Some might not like the slightly elevated seating position, but on the whole, it had everything we needed upfront for a city car.

However, it’s a different story for those in the rear. There’s not enough legroom, and headroom is limited – especially if you specify the full-length canvas roof. The door openings are also on the small side so getting in and out felt like a bit of a chore. It’s a shame, as this is the car’s weakest link. 

‘I can’t possibly recommend the Aygo X to anybody who carries passengers in the back more than, say, twice a year,’ Tom concluded.

‘Which is a shame when rival cars, such as the Hyundai and Kia twins and the Suzuki Ignis, provide genuine space for four six-foot adults in pleasant if not exactly palatial surroundings.’  

Rear visibility isn’t great either, with those high-backed front seats consuming a lot of space in the rear-view mirror. All of the rear windows are tiny – the rear screen is like a letterbox and the door windows are like portholes, which made it hard to see what was around us.

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Boot space and storage 

The Aygo X’s doesn’t put in a great performance here, and although it could be argued that luggage space is not a massive priority in a city car, the 231-litre boot is beaten by the Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto, which offer 252 and 255 litres respectively, while the surprisingly roomy Suzuki Ignis weighs in at 267 litres. The boot opening is narrow and also hampered by a high sill, which wasn’t ideal when carrying heavy loads..

Dropping the 50/50 split-fold seats can liberate up to 829 litres but, again, this figure is less than the Aygo X’s rivals. All of its competitors offer more than 1,000 litres with the bench folded flat. The smallness of the boot simply reinforces the feeling that this is a city car for two adults and two children only. Bear in mind you’ll lose an extra 49 litres of space in the Exclusive-spec model in order to accommodate the JBL stereo amplifiers and speakers.

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Is it easy to park?

The Aygo X is a small car, so we didn’t find it troublesome to park in confined spaces. It certainly didn’t feel big when we drove it, and it offered a good view forward.

Sadly, the windows are small and the pillars are wide, which limits over-the-shoulder visibility. The rear screen is tiny too, meaning our vision through the rear-view mirror was impaired. However, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors are standard on all versions, which is impressive for this class.

View dimensions in the Toyota Aygo X specs pages

Safety

• Yet to be tested by Euro NCAP
• Two Isofix points as standard
• Impressive list of safety kit as standard

The Toyota Aygo X features a great deal of safety technology that’s not generally expected in a city car. But that impressive features list comes part and parcel of the fact it’s based upon the larger Yaris and Yaris Cross, so the transference of this technology is a relatively straightforward matter. We’ll await the Euro NCAP crash test score when the car gets officially tested.

Pre-Collision Assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection technology is standard-fit on all models and can detect people in or near the road ahead, or if they’re about to cross the road in front of the car. If it detects a potential collision, the driver is warned, then the brakes are automatically applied.

Other safety technology on the Aygo X includes:

• Pre-collision system with pedestrian and cyclist detection
• Lane departure alert
• Intelligent adaptive cruise control
• Lane trace assist
• Collision mitigation support
• Fatigue monitor
• Automatic main beam for the headlights
• Supplemental restraint system with six air bags
• Adjustable speed limiter
• Road sign assist
• Vehicle stability control
• Front and rear parking sensors with auto brake
• Tyre pressure monitoring system
• Isofix rear seats fixing