Toyota Aygo X Hybrid: Beating the oil crisis with 24 km per liter

Right before Passover, the next fuel price update in Israel will take place, the first since the outbreak of the Roaring Lion Operation, the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, damage to oil production facilities in Gulf countries, and the global energy crisis of 2026.

There is no doubt that the refreshed Toyota Aygo X arrived at exactly the right moment: The facelift installed Toyota’s Yaris hybrid power unit, and it now boasts an official fuel consumption figure of up to 27 km per liter - a number many Israelis will dream about after their next fuel stop and the hit to their wallets.

The third generation of Toyota’s mini car is also the first that Toyota designed and manufactures independently in a factory in the Czech Republic, which previously served the French–Japanese small-car project that produced models such as the Peugeot 107 and 108 and the Citroën C1.

The French decided there was no longer room for a small gasoline car in a market hit by strict EU emissions regulations, which required expensive efforts to comply with, and they chose to withdraw.

Toyota, which saw the Volkswagen Group also leaving this segment and stopping production of the Up!, Seat Mii, and Skoda Citigo, and Fiat continuing with the aging Panda, identified an opportunity. It is doubtful it knew at the time that Hyundai would also stop producing the i10 for Europe, nearly two years after we lost it in Israel due to Erdogan’s embargo.

Thus, the Aygo was left alone against the Kia Picanto, whose manufacturer chose a cheaper solution: Switching from a 1,200 cc engine (79 hp) to a weaker 1,000 cc unit (67 hp) that is less polluting - a change that will reach Israel in the coming weeks.

In its gasoline version, with the old 1,000 cc engine (72 hp) whose roots go back to the first Yaris from 1999, the Aygo X struggled to compete with the Picanto’s popularity in Israel, despite being cheaper. Now it has a new engine, also from the Yaris line, a 1.5-liter full hybrid producing 116 hp, which dramatically improves performance and fuel consumption. Is there a response to the Iranians?

When launching the current generation, Toyota made an important decision. In an effort to justify the price increase in the eyes of customers, it built it as a small crossover, with a height of 1.525 meters, width of 1.74 meters, and a wheelbase of 2.43 meters, similar to what Suzuki did earlier with the Ignis, which also never received a successor.

Now, in order to accommodate the larger hybrid unit and its battery, Toyota had to enlarge the engine bay, extending the car by 8 cm to 3.78 meters, with no change to the wheelbase. The hybrid system’s battery was moved under the rear seat. This is a relatively large and costly change for a facelift.

To signal externally that something has changed, the Aygo X received a new front design, and in the higher-spec version we drove it also had a two-tone paint scheme. Overall, it is a pleasant-looking car.

Right from the entry, it is clear that the cost-cutting policy has not changed, with a lot of exposed metal on the doors and no plastic covering. However, the driver’s area has been upgraded. The instrument cluster is now fully digital, 7 inches instead of a partial 4.2-inch display, alongside a 9-inch infotainment screen.

More importantly, a central air vent was added to the climate system, although it is positioned in the upper part of the dashboard and not directly facing the passengers. It is sufficient for now, though not necessarily on a hot August day.

Another upgrade is the switch to an electronic parking brake, which frees up additional storage space. The quality of some plastics has also improved, but two key cost-saving compromises remain: The steering wheel still adjusts only up and down, not in depth, and the rear windows open slightly sideways instead of rolling down into the door.

The seating position is high, which makes entry and exit easier and improves outward visibility. The front seat is slightly short but generally acceptable for a mini car.

The rear seat is still tiny. From the small doors with a narrow opening to the almost non-existent legroom, space is very limited. The seat itself is relatively comfortable and high, and an average-height adult can sit in the back, but it will not be comfortable. Even installing a child seat is extremely tight - at best only suitable with a booster.

There is no change in the trunk either. A capacity of 231 liters is reasonable for a mini car, but still small, and in this case also suffers from a very high loading lip, making heavy items difficult to load. There is still no spare wheel.

The lineup includes three trim levels:

Pure (from NIS 124,000) comes with a 9-inch infotainment screen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 7-inch digital cluster, 17-inch steel wheels, ignition key, climate control, and electric side mirrors. This version is mainly aimed at businesses that need an inexpensive and efficient car, such as security and patrol companies.

Pulse (NIS 125,000) adds alloy wheels of the same size, wireless charging pad, start button, automatic folding mirrors, and LED fog lights.

Peak, the version we drove, climbs to NIS 130,000 and adds a two-tone exterior with a black roof, full LED projector lighting (front and rear), rain sensor, and tinted rear windows. We will return to the price issue later.

The Aygo X received 4 out of 5 stars in the 2025 Euro NCAP crash test. It comes with autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control (rare in small cars), lane keeping assist, steering assist, lane centering, and automatic high beam.

116 hp is a lot for a mini car, even though the hybrid Aygo X is 140 kg heavier than the gasoline version. The extra 44 horsepower is clearly noticeable. The official figure shows 0–100 km/h in 9.2 seconds, and on the road it feels quick both from traffic lights and during overtaking.

There are three driving modes: Normal, economy, and power, with only minor differences in performance. The added power and electric assistance mean the petrol engine works less hard and is quieter than before, even though the hybrid still uses a CVT automatic transmission.

Here the improvement is even more significant. The gasoline version had a combined figure of 20 km per liter, while the hybrid ranges between 25.6 and 27 km per liter depending on trim.

A long urban drive with some suburban sections resulted in an excellent real-world figure of 24 km per liter. After adding intercity driving and a short spirited section, consumption dropped to 22 km per liter for the full test - one of the best results seen from a hybrid car.

The hybrid system not only made the Aygo heavier but also concentrated more weight lower in the vehicle. Comfort is relatively good for a mini car, with the recalibrated suspension mainly struggling with deep potholes but handling speed bumps reasonably well.

Outside the city, comfort improves, though there is some wind noise. Maneuverability is excellent thanks to the compact dimensions, and together with the short steering, it is a pleasure to drive in urban traffic. Even on open roads and winding sections, the Aygo remains pleasant and enjoyable.

The brakes have been upgraded with rear discs, but the integration with regenerative braking is not always smooth.

If there is one thing that overshadows the successful update of the Aygo, it is the price. The switch to hybrid power reduced the purchase tax by NIS 3,700, moving it from emissions group 4 to 2. Despite this, the price increased by NIS 19,000 compared to the previous base version.

The Aygo is now NIS 14,000 more expensive than the Kia Picanto, and NIS 9,000 more than the BYD Dolphin Surf, which is electric and more spacious. In fact, it is even more expensive than supermini cars such as the Skoda Fabia and Seat Ibiza, and costs almost as much as the MG3, which is both a supermini and a hybrid.

Against them, Toyota’s main advantage is its ability to find parking almost anywhere and its excellent fuel economy. For someone driving around 20,000 km per year, this means savings of about NIS 3,000–4,000 annually compared to small gasoline cars, and about NIS 1,000 compared to the MG3.

Energy costs for the BYD will be about NIS 4,000 lower per year than the Aygo for those who can charge at home electricity rates, but this comes with the inconvenience of charging and range anxiety that is inseparable from electric car ownership.

The Aygo X is an excellent urban solution, mainly for drivers alone or in pairs, but when the technology becomes this expensive, it slightly misses the point. In Europe, manufacturers are required to invest in efficient cars to avoid billions in emissions fines, which makes it worthwhile for Toyota to sell as many Aygos as possible to enable the sale of more profitable Land Cruisers. In Israel, regulation has not created such a link, perhaps because it is more focused on tax collection than encouraging low-emission, fuel-efficient vehicles.

As a result, despite being something of a clever achievement, the Aygo is expected to remain relatively rare on Israeli roads - and that is a shame.

3 years or 100,000 km for the vehicle, 5 years or 100,000 km for the battery.