Toyota just dropped the cleanest-running non-plug-in hybrid, and Americans can’t have it
Toyota hybrids are enjoying a rise in popularity in the United States. From the all-hybrid Camry lineup to the long-time segment favorite, the Prius, the Japanese brand’s hybrids are in demand. And Toyota just unveiled what is possibly one of the cleanest-running non-plug-in-hybrids on the market. That is, unless you’re an American car-buyer.
The Toyota Aygo X is quite possibly the cleanest non-plug-in hybrid out there, but it won’t be coming to the US market
The Toyota Aygo. It’s the brand’s smallest car in every market other than Korea. However, the Aygo, like the Corolla, is available as a crossover: the Aygo X. It’s a hybrid, and not just any hybrid. Toyota asserts that the new Aygo X Hybrid has the “lowest CO2 emissions of any non-plug-in car on the market.”
That claim is reportedly backed by JATO Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). Toyota claims the Aygo X’s CO2 emissions sit at around 86 g/km. That’s roughly 39 g/km less than the average passenger car here in America. But speaking of America, drivers on the star-spangled streets of the United States won’t be seeing the Toyota Aygo X anytime soon.
Instead, the new Toyota Aygo X is set to hit the road in Europe at the end of 2025. However, the Aygo and Aygo X have never been available to American buyers. In place of a teeny-tiny hybrid crossover, Toyota updated the RAV4 with hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. Toyota also revamped the bZ4X EV, adding muscle and lopping the “4X” off the clunky name. But an Aygo X? Not likely to happen on this side of the pond.
So, what are we missing? Toyota built the Aygo X on its GA-B platform, part of the Toyota Global New Architecture (TNGA). The brand says that the low posture of the battery architecture keeps the center of gravity down close to the pavement.
As a result, the Aygo X promises to be nimble and planted for a crossover. However, Toyota bills the Aygo X as an “urban” companion and fuel-sipper, not an open-road sprinter. That translates to a relatively sluggish 10-second sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph).
