Toyota Aygo X Air Edition

FIRST DRIVE: Does convertible city car range-topper offer a breath of fresh air?

- Alastair Crooks

WHEN we first tried Toyota's new pumped-up city car, the Aygo X, it was in top-of-the-range 'Exclusive' trim, but now there's a new model crowning the line-up in the form of this Air Edition version.

It's based on the mid-range Edge when it comes to the level of kit, but (as the name suggests) the Air Edition is fitted with a folding fabric roof, so now Toyota's smallest car can go toe to toe with the convertible version of Fiat's cutesy 500 city car. These are the only two cars in their class.

It's no secret that city cars are on the wane in Europe as makers struggle to conjure profits from models in this segment. A direct replacement for the decade-old Volkswagen up! isn't on the cards, and there will be no successors for the previous-generation Aygo's Peugeot 108 and Citroen C1 siblings.

A convertible Aygo isn't new ground for Toyota, though, because the old model was offered with a soft-top X-Wave variant, so the Japanese manufacturer clearly thinks there are sales to be had in the admittedly niche convertible city car market.

We tested the new Aygo X Air Edition in less-than-ideal conditions, when an Arctic blast hit the UK, in fact. But if you order one now, then you can expect delivery from spring 2023, just as the convertible season approaches - hopefully.

The Aygo X (pronounced Aygo Cross) sits a little higher than a typical city car, thanks in part to a new platform shared with the larger Yaris. It's a little longer than the old Aygo, but fits comfortably within the city car sector, despite its pseudo-off-roader look.