“With the Aygo X Prologue, I believe we’ve demonstrated that a small car can still be big and bold in personality,” said Ken Billes, Assistant Chief Designer at ED².

According to Toyota, new customers demand “flair, distinctiveness, and the chance to make a personal statement” from a small car. The folks at ED² went to work and came up with the Aygo X Prologue, a seemingly chic and rugged small car disguising as a crossover. It has a naughty demeanor courtesy of its wing-shape headlamps and large front grille, while the bold bi-tone body panels and skid plates hint at some mild off-road aspirations, which would make it perfect for the South African landscape.

“Everybody deserves a cool car. when I look at the Aygo X Prologue, I’m really proud to say that ED² Team created exactly that,” said Ian Cartabiano, President of ED². “I’m excited to see it revolutionizing the segment.”

Notice the Sparkling Chili Red and black bi-tone paint scheme? It’s the result of Toyota’s ‘spicy’ concept coming to life. For inspiration, ED² designers gathered critical ingredients found in nature, including wasabi, ginger, black pepper, and red chilis. After adding some blue metallic flakes to the Aygo X prologue’s striking red paint, the result is a unique color palette that spells excitement.

“I’m a customer as well as a designer. So, I helped design the Aygo X prologue to be the car that I wanted..for me,” said Momoko Otawara, Color Material and Finishing Designer at ED². Admittedly, this Aygo X concept adds a different flavor to Europe’s popular A-segment with its bold execution and go-anywhere stance.

No word yet on what’s under the bonnet and powering this car, but we can’t help but think what an Aygo X GR version could be, most especially with that poweful1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine from the award-winning Yaris GR supermini. Factor in AWD and voila! You have yourself a rally-spec Aygo! Although a GR Aygo will likely carry a B or C-segment price tag, it’s a brilliant thought. And it’s good to know Toyota is back doing exciting things across all segments.

Twitter Timeline and new layout

The guys at twitter are busy doing they’re best to make sure you see the best content in your timeline. Or at least that’s what they’re hoping to be doing with last weeks announcement of a new timeline option.
The new nameless-feature algorithmically determines which tweets are important to you (based on who you follow and engage with) and moves them to the top of your timeline when you open the app or launch the site. The featured updates will be presented in reverse chronological order in case you were worried Twitter was turning into Facebook. Twitter is hoping this will keep you from missing important updates.
Now before you lose your mind, the company has included a message in the app or online showing you how to use it and giving you the option to turn it off.

Local Apps
KaChing: The synopsis given with this app is that one must picture the scene, you reach the paypoint at a parking lot and discover it only takes cash while youre only carrying cards. The atms are on the opposite side of the mall, and once you’ve drawn the cash you still have to get change because the machine demands coins and small notes. Eventually you get back the machine and find that the coins slot is not working – mall maintenance has to intervene and only an hour later you are on your way home. KaChing takes that hassles and combines top IT specialty and convenience. The app uses license plate recognition technology and links to a credit or debit card. Once registered, it triggers the malls system and opens the boom as the car is driven into the parking lot, and when the car departs the parking amount is deducted from the said linked account. The system has been live at 3 malls in JHB; Melrose Arch, Sandton City, Hyde Park.

 
SkyBird: The second app, Skybird uses geo-fencing and heat mapping activity to better ones shopping experience. Initially rolled out in Port Elizabeth, the app allows retailers to communicate tailored retail deals to customers with a smartphone as they trawl the mall. In short, one has to download the SkyBird app, register and open it once you’re inside a participating mail. As you walk around the mall, and say, walk past a Foschini and have a look at the app, deals from that particular retailer(S) will pop-up on your screen.

Both apps are free to download from your app stores.

Toyota Aygo

I recently got to drive the next-generation in and around the Free State, and got a deep-dive with new, first time buyers. First, its got new bones. Riding on Toyota’s new TNGA architecture.
It has a new characterful 51 kW 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine with the best thermal properties in its class. Torque output weighs in at 95 Nm delivered at 4300 rpm which echoes its much intended purpose: fuel economy.

he exterior of the Aygo has evolved with new headlights, a lower cowl in the front, and sculpting on the sides. Though not dramatically different if you see one in passing by, exterior styling is more appealing with focus on the X grille. The interior receives a noticeable update. The dash and center console look more similar to the Toyota Auris and Yaris vehicles, which seems to work well here. The touch display seems to hide all the clutter away. The entry-level Aygo 1.0 starts at R138 900 after delivery, while the top trim X-play in black or silver will put you just over the R139 900 mark. Full review here

I recently got to drive the next generation in and around the Free State, and got a deep dive with new, first time buyers. I’ve distilled a mountain of data to bring you all the essentials of the 2016 Toyota Aygo.

First, its got new bones. Riding on Toyota’s new TNGA architecture – a straightforward acronym for Toyota New Global Architecture – the world’s biggest automaker looked to improve dynamics, reduce costs, and allow the sharing of parts necessary to be competitive in the coming decades.

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The new underpinnings allowed engineers to place the major components – such as the engine – just a tad lower than on the current Aygo, the 10 mm difference helps reduce body-roll and allows for a more stable drive. Significant attention was paid to noise and vibration harshness, and the liberal use of sealers and new bonding techniques make this the quietest Aygo yet.

The new characterful 51 kW 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine has the best thermal properties in its class. Torque output weighs in at 95 Nm delivered at 4300 rpm which echoes its much intended purpose: fuel economy. My entire ride from Johannesburg to Kroonstad never bothered the petrol indicator, its the uphill until Welkom that brought out its true colours. 

As far as styling, the exterior of the Aygo has evolved with new headlights, a lower cowl in the front, and sculpting on the sides. Though not dramatically different if you see one in passing by, exterior styling is more appealing with focus on the X grille. The interior receives a noticeable update. The dash and center console look more similar to the Toyota Auris and Yaris vehicles, which seems to work well here. The touch display seems to hide all the clutter away, perfectly at that. Its a pitty the steering features no multimedia controls. 

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Simply put, the new Aygo can handle surprisingly-, nay, scratch that, shockingly well. Really. No, it’s not a sports car. But for a car that can get you more than 100km for 4.4l of petrol and For those that want a (slightly) more spirited drive, which as its name suggests eases up on the throttle, and allows for more power. Acceleration is smooth and faster than I expected, or any Aygo driver will likely ever need, for that matter. The odd change down is required for those uphill feats, lord knows the 1l engine can only handle that much.

We tossed the petite petrol-sipper along the course with — day I say it — zeal, and were pleasantly surprised. The thing is, if Toyota had this much success already—three million-plus models floating around—with the car’s previous dynamics, what will happen with the new, decidedly improved car?

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The second generation Aygo has gotten the full work over. New design inside and out—not dramatic, but, better perhaps—complemented by much better performance, and the single most important thing: greater fuel economy than the current generation. The 2016 Toyota Aygo moves to A-segment needle in the right direction.

Will it be able to bring auto enthusiasts into the fold with its improved handling? Don’t bet on it. Will it sell more, and likely be more pleasing for owners of the first-gen? Absolutely.

The entry-level Aygo 1.0 starts at R138 900 after delivery, while the top trim X-play in black or silver will put you just over the R139 900 mark.