Nowadays we’re so used to complicated and overly feature-packed vehicles that some manufacturers seem to prefer to shock and awe potential customers with the number of knickknacks they put inside their cars.
Enter the Toyota Wigo, one of the most common sights on our roads, a true point A to B no frills attached road warrior. I’ll be honest and say I didn’t quite like the 1st generation, but whispers of the latest models’ much-improved feel got me curious enough to have a go at it.
Table of Contents
The Wigo has always been a sharp and modern-looking vehicle, it was as much less rounded and sculpted econo-hatch compared to the Brio and Mirage.
This current model applies the same design philosophy but adds a bit more character lines and makes the overall design a little more classy compared to before. What I particularly like is the front design, now featuring much less chrome and incorporating an LED DRL, it seems the Wigo has grown up in terms of design, and that’s a good thing.
Inside the Toyota Wigo is the very embodiment of you get what you need for modern standards. Most of the panels inside are covered in affordable black plastic apart from the cloth seats, and everything feels made for purpose rather than luxury, which is of course expected.
Features include a nice analog instrument cluster with a cool orange hue, steering wheel buttons for hands-free capabilities, a decently sized digital infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and lastly an automatic climate control system. As I said, basic but complete for 2024 standards.
What is impressive is the space inside the cabin, it never felt cramped despite loading the vehicle up with luggage and bags for a 5-day out-of-town trip for 2 people.
Powering this small hatchback is a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder naturally aspirated gasoline engine making a respectable 67 PS and 89 Nm of torque. The transmission is now a CVT type for better performance and fuel savings.
In terms of safety, the Toyota Wigo does come with dual airbags, an Anti-lock braking system (ABS), Vehicle stability control (VSC), and Hill start assist (HAC).
I had the Toyota Wigo during a time when I’d be driving in the city and also venturing out of town enabling me to get the full experience of how it would behave in different scenarios and road conditions.
Firstly in the city, the Wigo is fantastic to drive, sizewise it really is a breeze to zip in and out of traffic without a problem. The steering is very light as expected, and the CVT is smooth enough for low-speed driving adding a refined feel compared to the older automatic version.
Out on the highway is where you feel most of the improvements, it no longer feels like you’re driving a plastic bag with an engine at 100kph. It feels much more solid now and safer compared to before and even compared to other affordable cars out there.
What’s enjoyable is its size and lightness, the Wigo effortlessly breezes up to 100-110 kph without issue, and the CVT ensures a smooth acceleration throughout. When it comes to fuel economy despite my relatively brisk pace and loaded-up luggage area the Toyota Wigo was impressively able to post 22 km/l on the highway, which is impressive for its 36-liter fuel tank capacity.
Another thing I must commend the Wigo on is the ride and driving dynamics, the ride manages to be soft but not too soft as to bottom out passing through NLEX’s many uneven portions. I also noticed that on paths without roads like the park where I shot the photos for this review, the Wigo didn’t bottom out despite being a small hatchback, not once did I feel it was going to scrape over rocks or tall grass, this really impressed me.
Driving the Toyota Wigo is much much better than before, it now provides an easy and more refined driving experience.
My only issue with the Toyota Wigo would be the interior panels, although I understand the bang-for-buck nature of the Wigo I’m sure some better plastics or materials can be used to improve the feel inside the interior.
The top-of-the-line Toyota Wigo G CVT retails for a decent PHP 729,000USD 12,378INR 1,053,624EUR 11,919CNY 90,396, and considering what it offers I’d say it’s priced perfectly. In a world now pushing for more in vehicles, I liked how basic but complete the Wigo is, it really makes me think “How much more do we really need?”.
