Filed under: Economy, Euro, Green, Hatchbacks, Toyota
Toyota Aygo averages 90 mpg in GreenFleet Fuel Challenge
by John Neff on May 4th 2006 at 4:02PM 
The Toyota Aygo, a diminutive hatchback that has charmed even the power junkies that host Top Gear, achieved 90.17 mpg during the first GreenFleet Fuel Challenge in the U.K. The competition pitted 20 vehicles in various categories against each other to demonstrate the potential environmental and economic benefits of green fleet vehicles. The Aygo and its compatriots were driven 10 laps (32.5 miles) around Silverstone and none were able to beat the green feat of the Aygo and its 1.4L diesel. Economy at this level comes with sacrifice, however, as the Aygo’s 55 bhp tops out at 95 mph and gets passed by snails on its 16.8-second trip to 62 mph.
[Source: WorldCarFans]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
peyay 4:28PM (5/04/2006)
u know i dont care if the 0-60 is 10 minutes y cant we have those cars here like that toyota or a smart i would love to fill up every 2 months with a car that has a 90 mpg or lets say thats best senario lets say it gives 70 mpg i can live with that and 95 mph
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KT 4:33PM (5/04/2006)
Just the opposite....
I wouldn't drive this or any of the others in the pic if someone paid me. Now, if I lived in small Euro city, I would consider it. But never here in the states.
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Gary 4:33PM (5/04/2006)
I'll take one! Or maybe two! Those 14 mpg SUV's can pass me all they want. I'll wave to 'em when going past the fuel stops where they're gassing up for $70-$80 a pop!
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BizNut 4:39PM (5/04/2006)
Incidentally, for us unit-challenged folks, 90 miles per British imperial gallon (4540 cubic cm versus 3854 cc for US gallon, meaning British gallon carries 20% more fuel) per a gallon of diesel, which is about 15-20% heavier than gasoline (i.e., same gallon of diesel contains about 18% more energy as compared to a gallon of gasoline), means that the miles/US gallon of 'gasoline equivalent' fuel economy is about 90 / (1.2*1.18) = 63 miles/gallon, which is still no mean achievement, if one is prepared to drive a 0-60 in 16 seconds car (average 0-60 times in the US are at 9.9 seconds).
This is admirable because most of the world's people are not used to SUVs and large cars. These same people suffer from traffic congestion, are used to driving smaller vehicles at top speeds not exceeding 60-70 mph given the road conditions and can't go anywhere in 9.9 seconds even if they could accelerate at that rate given the congested traffic.
And, they routinely pay $3-5/gallon of gasoline, out of a disposable income much smaller than that of a North American and Western European customer.
And, there are 2+ Billion of these folks who are buying up cars at a pace 2-5 times faster than the rest of the developed world..
That is why this car, though diminutive and 'under-performing', is significant. Next thing to look for is what it's priced at and that will complete the story.
This is a 'built for Asia' vehicle and should do very well, even with a gasoline powertrain.
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glitched 4:43PM (5/04/2006)
the aygo is genious, ive seen that top gear clip Loved every second of it. Does what a small eco car should do, be eco, even down to one string (instead of 2) holding up the rear cargo cover
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bernie 4:50PM (5/04/2006)
AutoBlog has gone to the dogs. People, This is a Toyota PRESS RELEASE! There's absolutely ZERO information about any of the other vehicles - some of which might be far better choices for driveability and fun.
This isn't news, it's a friggin Toyota ad.
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Onell 4:53PM (5/04/2006)
Another lie in gas mileage, same with Prius & Lexus Hybrid. Nice PR! No doubt Toyota will release a 200MPG Aygo this coming 2007 NAIAS! Toyota's new motto is "Bragging Forward".
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James 4:54PM (5/04/2006)
It looks like a kitty-cat or a bunny. All girls need to be mandated by law to drive this.
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Razib Ahmed 5:05PM (5/04/2006)
"The competition pitted 20 vehicles in various categories against each other to demonstrate the potential environmental and economic benefits of green fleet vehicles."
We need to have this kind of competition more and more. As the fuel price is keeping the economies of many countries at bay investing on green fuel seems to be a good alternative.
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S.M.Mehdi Hassan 5:15PM (5/04/2006)
I have read all the above comments and I found two negative and five positive comments. However, I can say one thing that is if we really care for the environment and really want to save it then we have no other options but to use this type of car. May be this car may not meet the standard what it says but the thing is if we do not use it then how can we say that this car (or any other such car) do not deliver what it promise and like it or not buying this type of eco friendly car is the only option we have. Recently, the rise of car sales has increased in china and India(http://asianbiz.blogspot.com/2006/05/increased-auto-sales-puts-pressure-on.html)so the government is planning to mix ethanol with fuel to reduce the pressure. I think if such car was introduced in these regions people will definitely buy it because in India there is a huge demand for this type of small cars.
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VW-Guy 5:16PM (5/04/2006)
OK, now lets have the info on the other 19 cars.
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Bama Bound 5:32PM (5/04/2006)
A car this small on the interstate with 18 wheelers would be downright dangerous. Unless there are individual lanes for big trucks these cars will never sell here for safty reasons. Conserving fuel is one thing but getting your ass killed is another all together.
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Rich 5:44PM (4/28/2008)
Your 2 ton SUV won't do well against a 100,000 lb. 18- wheeler either!....pancake city. How about your 600 lb Harvey barrelling down the interstate at 70. Do you think it would have a chance? What we really need is to get get more of that 50-ton traffic off the interstates and on to the railroad lines where they belong!
Bama Bound 5:36PM (5/04/2006)
# 6 Bernie,
And this little piece was offered up by none other than John Neff, friend of Toyota and everthing foreign.
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DK 6:06PM (5/04/2006)
"miles/US gallon of 'gasoline equivalent' fuel economy"? What? Let's compare apples to apples. Why not just convert imperial mpg to US mpg and leave out the whole "gasoline equivalent" factor. With that in mind, this car got 75.076 US mpg in the test. The real question is why cannot Americans buy this car right now? I don't care how slow it takes to get from 0 to 60, if it gets 75 mpg it would be a blowout success. Plus, it looks really cool.
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It's a city car 6:32PM (5/04/2006)
I'm impressed with the fuel economy (at 65, 75, or 90 mpg) because it is better than similar vehicles did in the last go around during the '70s and early '80s, and the speed is in that ballpark. It's not a highway car but the small size is BETTER for use in congested cities like NY and SF.
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James 6:47PM (5/04/2006)
It's a Hello Kitty car! So Cute!
This car would be a success and dominate the Beetle among women sales!
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Mick 6:53PM (5/04/2006)
I wonder what would He would drive?
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Peter G 6:57PM (5/04/2006)
Going zero to sixty in 16 seconds is downright dangerous. Good luck freeway merging with that.
How many are already putting there money where their mouth is and are driving a Yaris or equivalent, now that they are available?
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onell 7:30PM (5/04/2006)
#18, You're wrong! This car is only intended for golf course, apartment complex & car dealer lots.
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