To poke fun at the inexplicably daft and odd names given to new car models really is a cheap shot. But here goes ... Aygo. I'm sorry. Aygo? First, it's not pronounced "A. Go", nor the vaguely Scottish-sounding "Aye. Go". Instead, Toyota tells us, "say igo". That's "igo" as in "I go", not "igloo" without the "l", or the way Michael Howard might enunciate "ego".
So, Aygo: "I go". Of course! Silly me. In that case, I'll just finish downloading a few tunes from the Aymac to my Aypod, and then I'll be ready to hop in to my Aygo and drive.
But hold on. If you want to say "Igo", what's wrong with writing "igo" on the back of the car? OK, so maybe there would be some trademark problems with "iGo". Steve Jobs probably retains an entire firm of killer lawyers to injunct to death anyone with the temerity to name a product by putting a lower-case "i" in front of a word. But as a way to get around Apple's attorneys ... Aygo: how lame is that?
Want to appeal to the iPod generation, Toyota? Then put an iPod-sized shelf with an output jack next to the car's sound system, but please don't call it an "Aygo" just because you can't call it an "iGo". It's no-go.
That said, the car's name is its only major failing. What you're looking at here is a cleverly inexpensive version of the ultra-small city runabout. A Smart car at a sensible price that can take four 6ft adults (as long as the two in the back can do some nifty origami with their legs). You could almost fit a pair of Aygos in to the average parking space.
Toyota has been here before, of course, with the admirably serviceable Yaris. But the Aygo is even smaller. I also suspect that Toyota found the Yaris was being bought disproportionately by seniors. Thus the Aygo is Toyota's attempt to garner the yoof vote.
The car's funny-face looks at the front and the quirky curves of the rear styling are the clue. Whereas the Yaris is a sober-looking little workhorse, the Aygo is obviously meant to make you think: "Ooh, bubbly personality." With a base model price around half that of an A-class Mercedes, the new baby Toyota is aimed at the style-conscious young urbanite who nowadays will still be paying off a student loan. As a consequence, the Aygo attempts to deliver peppy performance and sassy attitude on a notably tight budget. So, silly name apart, does it meet the brief?
In its favour is Toyota's engineering in the form of a three-cylinder 1,000cc engine that weighs in at a remarkable 67kg. Not to put too fine a point on it, the engine in this car will be lighter than most of its owners - something that cannot be said of many other (possibly any other) production cars.
Arguably, though, the Aygo motor punches above its weight. I'm a fan of three-cylinder engines. For this size of car, why have more when three do the job nicely? The humble Daewoo Matiz led the way some time ago, but Toyota can be relied upon to develop and refine a neat idea. The downside of the threesome, which is that it can be a bit rough and noisy, is also its upside. The Aygo motor has a rasping, revvy quality motoring journalists like to call "rorty" - giving the illusion that it is quite a sporty beast.
Which it really is not. Around 14 seconds to 60mph and a top speed of 98mph do not make the Aygo much of an Aygoer. But since it will spend most of its life averaging single-figure speeds in urban traffic, this hardly matters. A nice short first gear means that, in practice, the Aygo owner can cover the ground between one set of traffic lights and the next as briskly as a car costing 10 times as much. Meanwhile, the fuel economy of over 60mpg from those frugal three cylinders will ensure plenty of said ground between one gas station and the next.
Gripes? I had a few. The Aygo Sport model I tested had a stiffened-up suspension you absolutely do not want. With the wheels set about as far towards the four corners as on an NHS bed, roadholding is ample. The extra stiffness just means a crashy ride that has you bouncing all the way to the supermarket and will turn the latte you bought at the cafe into a frappe on the way back.
The driver's footwell was simply not big enough for three pedals and a pair of size 10s. The gearshift, too, was little joy - vague and imprecise, and in no way answering to the description "Sport". The remedy for both faults would be to opt for the automatic clutch ("multi-mode manual transmission" in Toyota-speak). There's no fuel economy penalty, apparently, and it will also save your shoe leather.
But most likely the problem lies with me and my size 10s. I am also, without being too specific, too old and weigh more than 67kg. A smaller, lighter, younger person - with daintier feet - would be more in tune with the spirit of the Aygo. But, considering I'm not at all its intended driver, I like this car.
Aydo, Ay really do.
· Giles Smith is away.
The lowdown
Toyota Aygo Sport 1.0
Price: £7,995 (range from £6,745)
Top speed: 98mph
Acceleration: 0-62mph in 14.2 secs
Consumption: 61.4mpg (combined)
At the wheel: Rachel Stevens
On the stereo: Ciara
En route for: Shopping
