Toyota confirms combustion-only Aygo successor for Europe

Toyota has confirmed plans to renew its affordable city car offering in Europe, although it stopped short of confirming whether it will retain the Aygo name.

The new model will keep costs down by using a variation of the Yaris supermini's GA-B platform with exclusively non-electrified engines, so is likely to be priced in line with the current Aygo – from around £12,500. It will also prioritise interior space and utility as part of its focus on the urban mobility market.

A cutaway rendering of the new model's bodyshell gives little in the way of clues as to its final form, but previous spy shots of what is believed to be the next-gen city car suggest its styling will draw heavily on the Yaris, but retain some of the Aygo's characteristic cues.

The entry-level model will be brought into line with its strong-selling supermini sibling with swollen rear wheel arches and a sizeable front grille, but Aygo trademarks including a fabric retractable roof, upright brake light clusters and wheels pushed right into the corners of the body will be carried over.

However, it seems the next-gen Aygo will sport a subtle ride height increase - and likely a protective body kit - in an effort to steal sales from the hugely popular compact crossover segment. Hyundai yesterday revealed a jacked-up take on its i20 supermini, the new Bayon, and Audi gave its entry-level supermini a similar treatment to create the A1 Citycarver in 2019.

Given the packaging constraints of an A-segment bodyshell and its focus on affordability, Toyota's new city car is unlikely to follow the larger Yaris Cross SUV in offering four-wheel-drive as an option, despite its 4x4-inspired design cues. The Yaris' entry-level 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine is likely to be offered, as is a choice between a five-speed manual gearbox and a CVT automatic.

Toyota Europe boss Johan van Zyl confirmed in 2019 that a new Aygo was being developed in Belgium and will be assembled at the same plant as the current car in the Czech Republic. Toyota is one of only a few manufacturers to commit to the combustion-powered city car segment, with rivals including Volkswagen and Ford withdrawing their same-sized offerings from sale in light of increasingly stringent emissions legislation.

The Toyota Aygo's mechanically identical Citroën C1 and Peugeot 108 siblings, for example, aren't in line for revival at the end of their current lifecycle, but the popularity of Toyota's hybrid models - including the Prius, Corolla and RAV4 - means that it's comfortably meeting its EU emissions target and can afford to introduce a small combustion-only model.

The Japanese brand will take full control of the C1/108/Aygo production facility in Kolín, the Czech Republic.