Toyota Aygo 1.0 Move with Style first drive

With the next-generation Toyota Aygo well into its development programme and expected to appear next year, the 1.0 Move with Style is a last hurrah for this generation of Toyota’s city car.

Current iterations of both the Aygo and its Citroën C1 and Peugeot 107 siblings were launched back in 2005, and it’s fair to say that all are beginning to show their age. The city car class has seen some of the biggest levels of improvement in recent years, so to stay competitive the Aygo needs to keep its appeal.

A refreshed range of trim levels aims to do just that by offering more standard equipment. This top-spec Move with Style has 14-inch alloy wheels instead of the steel units found on the standard car, as well as rear privacy glass, an integrated TomTom navigation unit and LED DRLs.

It comes at a cost of £10,610, though (rising to £11,010 with options). That looks expensive when even a new five-door Seat Mii in top-spec Sport trim is £20 cheaper, at £10,590, and includes the same standard equipment as the Aygo, plus 15-inch wheels and sports suspension.

Maybe it’s because it’s been around for so long, but I found the Aygo Move with Style to be nothing short of disappointing. 

The same 67bhp 1.0-litre engine we’ve tried before remains, but it’s still as unrefined as ever and refuses to perform at anything other than high RPMs. Above the 5000-6000rpm mark it can raise a smile, sure, and its 69lb ft of torque are well deployed from a standing start, but for most of the time its lack of performance compared to modern rivals causes a constant frown.

The Aygo remains a decent handler, though, with its revised chassis improving the ride while body control is also good – a big bonus when dealing with bumps and rutted roads of urban centres.

A particularly light steering set-up also provides good urban control, but it’s completely numb and fails to firm up at higher speeds.

While the Aygo might still look modern on the outside, its interior is where the Toyota shows its age the most. Cheap feeling plastics and ill-fitting controls dominate the cabin, while two adults side by side will struggle for space in the front. 

Unless you’re a huge fan of the existing Aygo already, no. 

While the Move with Style pack definitely adds some lasting appeal to the city-bound Aygo, it’s a classic case of too little too late. The Aygo remains a cheap-feeling urban runabout in desperate need of being updated. It’s nigh on impossible to recommend the Aygo over its more modern city-based rivals, which ultimately leaves the tiny Toyota falling to the rear of the pack.

Our advice? If you must have an Aygo then negotiate a big discount or wait for the new model.

Toyota Aygo 1.0 Move with Style

Price £11,010; 0-62mph 14.2 sec; Top speed 98mph; Economy 65.7mpg; CO2 99g/km; Kerb weight 890kg; Engine 3-cylinders in-line, 998cc; Power 67bhp at 6000rpm; Torque 69lb ft at 3600rpm; Gearbox five-speed manual