Toyota is the first of three manufacturers introducing new supermini city cars in the next few months to reveal its prices. Its all-new Aygo is now on sale with a starting price of €11,500 for the entry-level Terra model in 3-door format. The 5-door version costs an extra €300.
The Aygo is built alongside two cars from French car giant PSA - the Peugeot 107 and Citroën C1. All three are built at a new plant in the Czech Republic. Toyota is in charge of production of all three cars while PSA looks after purchasing.
Although the supermini class in Ireland has never managed much in terms of sales - averaging about 1 per cent of the overall market - the entry of these three big names should shake it up.
Toyota has chosen a very aggressive pricing policy, its 5-door version coming in on a par with the segment leading Fiat Panda. Given Toyota's strong reputation for reliability and residual values, it should do well here. The pricing also puts it up to the French counterparts to at least match them.
The base Aygo comes with front airbags - side airbags are available only in models higher up the range. However, with a marketing campaign aimed at younger or entry-level motorists, the inclusion of an iPod jack in the car will attract young drivers.
The Japanese marque has also launched its new Hilux twin cab. While twin-cab SUVs no longer benefit from reduced VRT, they remain popular as commercial transporters. Toyota's workhorse got some great publicity recently, when BBC's Top Gear tried in vain to destroy the previous Hilux. They burned it, drowned it, pummelled it and even put it on the roof of a derelict tower block which was then blown up, all to no avail. You can't buy that sort of publicity.
The new version is powered by a 102 bhp 2.5-litre diesel and has selectable 4-wheel drive. Prices start at €24,875 for the entry DLX model, going to €33,555 for the fully equipped SRS version.