City cars, Electric/hybrid, Motoring, Toyota

Aygo Hybrid a game changer for city cars

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Toyota Aygo X GR Sport hybrid

By Bill McCarthy

Sometimes in this industry, after many years of road testing, you can be genuinely surprised. Toyota knows a thing or two about hybrids – the Prius broke the mould for economy and reliability, which is why it remains the taxi of choice for many.

But the smaller Aygo X Hybrid also broke new ground as the first full hybrid city car when it launched this year and its economy is remarkable

Starting at just over £21k, it’s hardly a budget motor in its segment, but it’s a full hybrid and feels upmarket in several areas. UK model range and pricing: Icon £21,595, Design £23,695, Excel £26,045, and the GR Sport tested here at £26,895. 

Powertrain and efficiency

The old 1.0-litre petrol unit is gone, replaced by a 1.5-litre full hybrid that adds 43bhp – total system power is now 114bhp. Acceleration is brisk: 0-60mph in just over nine seconds, which is plenty quick enough for most situations. 

Toyota claims class-leading fuel economy of 72.4–74.3mpg and CO₂ emissions of 87g/km (WLTP) – the lowest of any non-plug-in car on sale. That means easy access to low-emission zones and low running costs. Over three days, I averaged over 75mpg, which only dropped closer to 70mpg after a long motorway run.

Equipment levels 

All models come well equipped. Icon has 17-inch alloys, a seven-inch driver display, automatic air conditioning, Toyota Safety Sense, and a nine-inch touchscreen.

Design adds 18-inch alloys, LED headlights, push-button start, a wireless charger, an electronic parking brake, extra noise reduction, and bi-tone paint. Excel adds a 10.5-inch Smart Connect system, front and rear parking sensors, Smart Entry, and heated seats.

The GR Sport tested here gets sports-tuned suspension, unique 18-inch alloys, bi-tone+ paint with a black bonnet, and a more upmarket interior.

Exterior design

This is one of the most eye-catching small cars around, especially in GR Sport form. The test car had a two-tone scheme with a black roof and bonnet, and it attracted unusual attention. Sitting low, it also has a striking black grille, flared black wheel arches, and smart alloy wheels. 

A coloured lower grille insert emphasises the low centre of gravity. Full LED lights are fitted, and the turn indicators have been moved to the door mirrors.

Interior space and technology

It’s a small car – no point pretending otherwise – but the clever layout (wheels pushed to each corner, lowered suspension) gives an impression of more space, and it can fit four adults. The GR Sport adds a black-and-grey theme with GR logo embroidery and sports-style front seats. Front headroom and legroom are fine, though the rear is tighter.

The cabin is laid out neatly and logically – some might say slightly dated – but physical buttons and rotary controls are a breath of fresh air compared to overcomplicated touchscreens with endless bings, bongs and verbal alerts. 

Another clever touch: the two battery stacks sit lengthways under the rear seats. The auxiliary battery has been moved to the boot without shrinking the 231-litre load space – just as well, because it’s tiny and anything less would be a problem.

On the road

Toyota says the suspension, brakes and steering have been retuned for a lighter feel and more agility, with a turning radius under five metres. Around town, it’s excellent, although the sports-tuned suspension does make the ride slightly harsher over road imperfections. It can get noisy on some motorway surfaces – but this isn’t really a motorway cruiser.

Advanced safety and driver assistant

The Aygo includes Toyota Safety Sense. Predictive Efficient Drive learns your driving behaviour and uses cloud navigation to optimise battery charging.

Predictive State of Charge Control manages battery levels for downhill recovery or traffic jams, allowing longer all-electric running at low speeds.

The Pre-Collision System now detects pedestrians, cyclists and crossing traffic, and Emergency Steering Assist aids stability during evasive manoeuvres. Full-Range Adaptive Cruise Control includes Overtake Protection and Support, while Lane Trace Assist, Lane Centring and a speed limiter add further security.

Warranty and sustainability

The car comes with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, extendable to 10 years/100,000 miles if regularly serviced by Toyota.

Verdict

It’s a pricey city car at over £21k for starters, but it’s a full hybrid and has plenty of equipment. It can be noisy on the motorway and the boot is tiny. But the 75-odd mpg is real, the turning circle is brilliant for the city. The GR Sport is even more pricey, but it looks the real deal.

Factfile

Toyota Aygo X GR Sport hybrid

  • Price: £26,895
  • Mechanical:  116 PS, 1,490cc three-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor, driving the front wheels. via CVT transmission
  • Max speed: 107mph
  • 0 to 62mph: 9.2 sec
  • Combined mpg: 72-74 mpg
  • Insurance group: 13-16
  • CO2 emissions: 87g/km
  • BiK rating: 23%
  • Warranty: 3yrs/60,000 miles
  • Overall rating (out of 5): 4.7
Electric/hybrid, Jaecoo, Luxury, Motoring

JAECOO a luxury SUV with off-road capability

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JAECOO 8 SHS

By Bill McCarthy

The first JAECOO I saw was on a trip to Devon, just after the brand’s launch. A JAECOO 7 sat in a pub car park. Curious, I took a closer look and found an SUV that blended the look of a Range Rover with a ‘waterfall’ grille reminiscent of a Jeep.

It clearly struck a chord with buyers, and a year later, it’s the best-selling car in the country. Owners, Chinese giant Chery, will be delighted and now the firm has moved upmarket with the new JAECOO 8 – a powerful, high-end, all-wheel-drive luxury vehicle.

The flagship SUV, the JAECOO 8 SHS-P, is a premium plug-in hybrid that brings three-row luxury to the brand’s line-up for the first time, available in two seating formats.

With prices starting from £45,500 OTR for the Luxury and £47,500 OTR for the Executive, it seriously undercuts similarly specced brands.

In addition, the warranty offers a seven-year / 100,000-mile warranty as standard, including an eight-year / 100,000-mile battery warranty.

Design and off-road capability

The Luxury version features seven seats in a 2-3-2 formation, while the more upmarket Executive model offers a 2-2-2 layout, with two captain’s chairs in the middle.

Both models are capable off-road, as demonstrated on a mildly challenging circuit on a country estate. I tested its adaptive all-terrain response and hill-descent control systems.

It remained stable and manageable even descending a ridiculously steep hill. It also includes settings for sand, mud and snowy conditions, plus lockable differentials for trickier terrain.

It’s a big vehicle and certainly looks the part. The popular waterfall design is retained here, and the elegant lines belies the vehicle’s genuine capability. It rides high off the ground with an impressive flood or streat wading depth of 600mm.

It also has some nat premium touches like hidden door handles and full-width LED taillights.

Luxurious interior

The interior feels premium, dominated by dual 12.3-inch displays that control major functions, including infotainment via a Sony 14-speaker sound system, smartphone connectivity, charging, and various apps. 

However, I found the touchscreen difficult to navigate at first – the menus are not immediately intuitive, and it takes time to find key functions while driving (which of course you should never do).

The other main controls are logically placed and easy to use, if you like a gear selector where wiper stalkwould normally be. For the record, I don’t.

The Executive adds powered, massaging Nappa leather seats – four heated, ventilated, massaging captain’s chairs. The cabin is large and spacious, designed around the brand’s ‘Enjoy Each Moment Outdoors’ philosophy whatever that means, with ample headroom, legroom and an airy ambience.

Rapid performance

This is a powerful vehicle, which I was able to test on some challenging roads around the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that is the Chiltern hills.

Acceleration is very rapid for such a big vehicle, and both versions hit 60mph in under six seconds.

Power is delivered via parent company Chery International’s Super Hybrid System (SHS) – a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a three-speed DHT (Dedicated Hybrid Transmission) and twin electric motors. Incidentally, all of the motors come into play when off-road.

Combined output is a huge 428 PS and 580 Nm of torque, which would make it ideal for towing.

Driving on these country roads, the car felt stable, although there is some inevitable lean on certain corners. Even a luxury model like this can be upset on poor road surfaces, but generally occupants are cocooned in a quiet, refined environment with a generally comfortable ride.

EV range

This is a plug-in hybrid, so the electric-only range matters. Chery claims around 80 miles on a full charge. On a short test drive, that was difficult to judge, but that is more than enough for most people’s daily commute without touching the petrol engine.

Once the battery is flat, you’re looking at official fuel economy around 40-50mpg. Not class-leading, but fine for a big seven-seater.

Practicality and storage

Boot space is substantial – cavernous, actually – with a capacity of 738 litres with the second row in place, expanding to a mammoth 2,021 litres with the rear seats folded. That’s enough to swallow a large furniture item, the dog and probably the kitchen sink, comfortably.

There’s a large centre console bin, a multitude of door bins, plus under-floor compartments for extra storage.

Verdict

The JAECOO is an attractive, well-rounded package – a true two-in-one choice between a seven-seat family hauler and a six-seat luxury cruiser, backed by punchy hybrid performance and rare off-road hardware such as lockable diffs.

The touchscreen can be as bit of a learning curve at first, and it leans, unsurprisingly, into bends. But as a spacious, well-specced, genuinely off-road-capable hybrid SUV with a seven-year warranty, it’s a cleverly priced alternative to far more expensive rivals.

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