Toyota keeps door open for a GR Aygo X

A hot version of the high-riding Aygo X is on the cards to rival the likes of the Suzuki Swift Sport and Volkswagen Up GTI as Toyota continues to expand its GR-badged performance line-up.

Asked by DrivesToday if the new SUV-style city car could be uprated to serve as an entry point into the expanding GR family, Toyota Europe’s vice-president, Andrea Carlucci, refused to rule out the possibility.

While acknowledging that he could not be specific about Toyota’s future products, he said: “Whatever our plans, this car may deserve looking at the chassis, the body rigidity – the potential in making a more sporty version.

“Let’s be clear: it’s not in our plans, but you will discover yourself and maybe comment to help us understand how much potential you see in that.” Carlucci also said of a GR version: “Never say never.”

Toyota CEO and keen motorsport enthusiast Akio Toyoda has a well-documented affinity for fast cars. His efforts to rebuild the Japanese brand’s reputation for accessible performance has quickly resulted in a family of dedicated sports cars, including the acclaimed GR Yaris, GR Supra and GR 86. If there were deemed to be a viable business case for it, a GR Aygo X would serve as an entry point into this line-up, with pricing and performance specs that would slot the car between the standard Aygo X and GR Yaris.

Given that it fundamentally shares a platform with the GR Yaris already, that car’s turbocharged 1.6-litre triple could find its way into a hot Aygo X, but its 257bhp output would most likely be excessive in the A-segment.

Irrespective of powertrain, the priorities for any performance derivative, as Carlucci suggested, would be tightening the handling, so sportier suspension, bigger brakes, a motorsport-inspired aero package and various weight-saving measures would be among the upgrades.

While hinting at future derivatives, Toyota was pessimistic about the short-term likelihood of a hybrid version. It said the inevitable extra weight and cost would change the Aygo X’s positioning. It also highlighted that the non-electrified 1.0-litre petrol triple already matches most similar-capacity mild-hybrid powertrains for fuel economy.

A future GR Aygo X would focus on sharper handling