Toyota has become a company that believes in collaboration, and the Toyota Agya is the latest , which will be with Daihatsu, a wholly owned subsidiary. The Agya will compete in the hotly contested and price conscious A-segment. Sharing it’s platform with the Ayla from Daihatsu, it joins the Suzuki collab- Starlet in the Toyota SA line-up. Translated from Sanskrit, the Agya name means fast, and it will replace the Aygo.
The A-segment is a dog fight between all of the price sensitive hatches from a number of manufacturers, notably the KWID , and the S-Presso. So in a nutshell, aimed at first time buyers, or possibly an older buyer with limited funds. It’s mantra will be -offering more for less, whilst still giving buyers the security of knowing it is a Toyota backed product.
Styling.
Coming with anthracite coloured 14-inch wheels, colour-coded door handles and electrically retractable mirrors. It has a sporty looking front end, and a roof-mounted rear spoiler. The rear LED lights also have an interesting signature.
Cabin.
Functional dash area, and with driver & passenger airbags, it has quite nice room in the front & rear as well. The rear seat folds down, offering more boot space if needed. The buttons are all close to hand, and it has a number of storage space holders.
Cloth seats are comfy, and it has a mixture of silver and black plastics to give an attractive look. On some models the Agya has a multimedia screen with Bluetooth, aux and USB connectivity.
A dealer fitted option of Apple CarPlay and Andriod compatibility is available if need be. It has an electric push start button, and safety is taken care of with ABS braking, and EBD. Electric windows and mirrors also are standard.
Engine.
It comes in manual and auto transmissions, and we drove the 5- speed manual. Changes smoothly, but it is a little tight changing back into fourth. A three-cylinder 998cm engine powers the Agya, and frankly, I was quite surprised at how nippy it is.
It puts out 49kw, and I literally whizzed around Jhb, it will be fuel thrifty and the claimed 4.8L/100km will be quite close to real time. It’s never going to be a racer, but a top end of 165km/h is attainable. When I got into the Agya, the range said 495km, and after driving 145 km, it showed 560km, so if it’s open road, the fuel economy is there.
All models are prepared for the use of Toyota Connect, which provides Wi-Fi connectivity to smart devices as well as a host of connected online services; and 15Gb of complimentary data. Once linked to the MyToyota App, owners can make on-demand service bookings, retrieve vehicle usage information (logbook), renew vehicle licenses, review tracking data, request roadside assistance and more.
Model line-up & Pricing
Agya MT – R178 600
Agya AT – R192 500
Agya MT (with audio) – R182 400
Agya AT (with audio) – R196 300
Warranty & Maintenance
All Agya models are sold with a 2-services/20 000 km service plan. A 3-year/100 000 km warranty is also provided. Customers can purchase additional service plan and warranty options via the extensive dealer network of 220.
The likes of the KWID and the S-presso etc will be feeling the burn on their backs, as the Agya will certainly be a player in it’s segment. It has good safety, and the dealer network that Toyota SA provides. The reliability and predictability will count in it’s favour. Expect them to take market share.