Verdict: Distinctive looks, perky performance and refined to drive.

Toyota Aygo X-Cite

What is it?

This is the follow up to Toyota’s ageing city car. It still shares a platform with its siblings from Peugeot and Citroen but you’d never be able to tell; aside from the front doors and windscreen, everything is different.

Where Peugeot has gone for the sober, sensible look, Toyota has gone wild with the crayons and ended up with a bold X graphic across the front of the car. Easily swappable by your local dealer, the X currently only comes in three colours so the personalisation options are perhaps a little limited.

Personalisation options continue inside though, where styling packs enable you to swap out much of the shiny plastic for different colour shiny plastic.

Standard equipment levels are good across the range, with even the entry level model getting projector headlights, USB and auxiliary inputs for the stereo, electric windows and tyre pressure monitoring.

Step up to the expected best-seller, the x-play, and larger wheels, a better sound system, Bluetooth connectivity and air conditioning are added to the mix.

For DAB, a rear camera and a swish multimedia system, you’ll need to splash out on the x-pression. I’m not making these names up.

Carried over from the outgoing Aygo is the 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine, now revised to produce a little more power and lower emissions.

That means there’s a CO2 figure of 95g/km, bringing the BIK burden down to just 12%.

For business car buyers, that translates to a car tax bill of zero, although you will have to stump up for the London congestion charge if you head in to the city.