Asia’s next top model: Toyota unleashes the Wigo

Waterfront Hotel & Casino, Cebu City—The car is small—but it’s aspirations are big. So big, in fact, that its manufacturer is setting its sights on—what else—being Number 1 in its segment.  Toyota has taken the wraps off its newest contender, the Wigo.

Designed by Toyota’s corporate sibling, small car specialist Daihatsu, and built in Indonesia (where it’s called the Toyota Agya—and also the Daihatsu Ayla), the Wigo wades into waters populated by the Chevrolet Spark, the Hyundai Eon and Grand i10, the Kia Picanto, the Suzuki Celerio and Alto, and the current segment bestseller, the Mitsubishi Mirage.

With the Wigo’s price starting under P450,000, Toyota expects to sell 500 units of its new small car per month. The Wigo measures 3,600mm long, 1,620mm high, and 1,520mm high. It rides on a 2,450mm wheelbase. That makes it roughly four inches shorter, just under two inches narrower, and an inch taller than the Mirage. The two cars have identical wheelbases.

Like the Mirage, the Wigo is powered by a 3-cylinder, 12-valve fuel-injected gasoline engine (albeit without variable valve timing but with dual overhead cams). Its slightly smaller 1.0-liter displacement develops 65ps at 6,000rpm and 85Nm at 3,600rpm. These seemingly miniscule power output numbers promise an equally miniscule fuel consumption—perhaps on the order of 12-14 km/L in city driving. Expect more definitive fuel economy figures  after we get our hands on one for a test drive. The Wigo has a smallish 33-liter fuel tank so you’d really need to squeeze maximum economy to be able to drive far between tankfuls. But even with averaging “just” 10 km/L, that’s still a decent 300-plus kilometers between fill-ups.

The Wigo rides on front MacPherson struts and and a semi-independent rear torsion axle beam with coil springs front and rear. It has electric power steering (EPS) and braking is via solid front discs and rear drums with ABS and ventilated discs on the high-end 1.0G model.

Speaking of models, the Wigo comes in three variants: the entry-level P448,000 1.0E MT, the midrange P499,000 1.0G MT, and the top-of-the-line P534,000 1.0G AT. The E model rolls on 185/80R-13 tires on steel rims with wheel cap while the G variants get bigger 175/65R-14 rubber on alloy wheels.

The exteriors are surprisingly fully trimmed, with chrome or body color accents instead of the usual unpainted black urethane found in many other low-priced hatchbacks. Chrome is found on the grille, front bumper and side molding. There is even a built-in tailgate-mounted spoiler with integrated high-mount brake lamp as well as fog lamps on the G variant.  All models have a rear window wiper/washer and defogger.

The Wigo somehow manages to avoid the tall-boy/narrow car look found in some of its competitors, perhaps due to its expressive front end, which boasts large multi-reflector halogen headlamps and bold grille and bumper openings that are almost reminiscent of Toyota luxury division Lexus’s spindle grille, right down to the Lexus LFA-inspired triangular foglamp housing/faux air intakes.

Inside the seemingly well-crafted and surprisingly spacious (particularly in headroom and rear legroom) cabin, the Wigo offers front and rear power windows, door locks, and (on the G) power side mirrors. All models have full instrumentation (speedo, tach, fuel, digital clock) while the G model adds an anti-theft/keyless entry system with engine immobilizer.

The seats are covered in fabric (Toyota claims seating for five) with the rear seats folding down to increase cargo-carrying capacity. Safety features include dual airbags and three-point seatbelts for four and a two-point seatbelt for the fifth (middle rear) passenger.

Unique in this class is the G model’s 4-speaker Navi-ready 2-DIN touchscreen AM/FM/CD/MP3/Aux/USB audio system with iPod and video playback capability. The E model has a two-speaker 1-DIN AM/FM/MP3/Aux/USB audio system.

The Wigo comes in White, Silver Metallic, Gray Metallic, Black, Light Blue, and Dark Blue.

The local mini-hatchback category is starting to get crowded. And the new Wigo is the big fish in a shrinking pond. Expect to see lots of it on the roads in the days to come.