Review: 2016 Toyota Wigo 1.0G
Owning a brand-new car should be stress-free. No anxiety attacks when thinking about payments. No worries about reliability. No agonizing over fuel and maintenance costs. Toyota’s latest addition to their line-up, the Wigo, is promising just that: it’s all about easy-to-own, easy-to-drive, and easy-to-enjoy. But can it live up to the promise? I spent an entire week with the Wigo 1.0G M/T—the full-loaded model that doesn’t break the psychological P 600,000-mark (P 556,000 to be exact). Just how well does it perform? Read on.
First and foremost, if you’re expecting the Wigo to perform like a Camry or 86, you better realign your thinking. It’s a city car and it comes with all the pros and cons commonly associated with such. Measuring at just 3,600-mm in length, it can squeeze through the tightest of spots, be it on the road or in the parking lot. More than once, people back into the space occupied by the Wigo only to realize that there’s a car parked there. It’s that tiny. Thankfully, tiny doesn’t mean the lack of character.
On the contrary, the Wigo looks sharp and snazzy. It doesn’t have the same futuristic animevibe as the Corolla Altis or Vios, but it’s a design that will wear very well. The angular headlights with carbon fiber-esque inserts and the triangular front fog light surrounds give the front fascia some character. The rear is somewhat more generic, but the rear spoiler does cut a nice rear profile. Plus, the six-spoke 14-inch alloys and 175/65R14 fill the wheel wells very well. If there’s one criticism I’d level against the Wigo is the abundance of chrome. I’m sure Toyota has determined that the city car crowd loves the shiny stuff, but it’s a bit of an overkill on the Wigo. It’s everywhere—the upper and lower grille, the door handles, and even the door moldings. It looks more aftermarket than factory stock, and even then, it’s not something pretty.
For its size, the Wigo’s cabin is surprisingly roomy. The interior echoes the exterior’s design theme with a pleasantly modern feel. As expected for a sub-half-a-million-peso car, the interior materials are hard and plasticky. However, the fit and finish are surprisingly consistent—a testament to Toyota’s build quality whether you’re talking about a luxury sedan or an entry-level city car. Instead of going all black, the Wigo uses shades of gray. Together with the expansive windshield, thin pillars, light metal applique, and extensive patterning on the seats, it gives an airy feel especially from the driver’s seat. Surprisingly, the front seats don’t offer headrest adjustment while the rears do. Although this is to pinch every penny possible, it certainly is a recipe of possible whiplash injury (it’s that low). The rest of the seats though are largely okay for spending traffic in except for those with sensitive back or bums. In terms of luggage space, the Wigo has enough for a weekend out-of-town trip. The rear bench can be folded as a single piece to increase loading space even more, but it won’t result in a completely flat loading space and will reduce the maximum occupant count to two.
Despite being priced so aggressively, the Wigo is excellently equipped. Aside from the prerequisite power windows, door locks, and mirrors, the center console contains a 2-DIN touchscreen audio system with USB, Apple iPod, and Bluetooth capability; perfect to keep the driver and passengers entertained. It’s also GPS navigation ready if you wish to shell for the additional cash for the receiver and SD card. The instrument cluster also has a multi-information display that shows range and mileage. Dual SRS airbags and anti-lock brakes are standard equipment as well.
Driven purely in the city, the Wigo is a perfectly great commuter car. The electric power steering is light and quick, resulting in a tight 4.7-meter turning radius. The suspension is well-balanced between comfort and responsiveness, and reacts the same way whether fully-loaded with passengers or not. The sightlines also make it easy to slot into the tightest of spaces, sometimes to the chagrin of jeepney drivers and motorcycle riders alike.
With a gearing designed more for city driving than highway driving, the Wigo’s fuel economy is largely dependent on the speed you’re traveling on. In city traffic, it manages 12.7 km/L if you follow the Eco light religiously. On the highway, if you keep your speed at a constant 80 km/h, it returns 23.1 km/L. However, add just 20 km/h more (100 km/h) and this efficiency drops to 18.5 km/L.
For all its misses, you can’t deny that the Toyota Wigo is priced affordably. And because of that, it begins to look like a bargain. Designed as your first brand-new car, the Wigo provides excellent fuel economy and packaging together with Toyota’s penchant for making nearly indestructible cars. It may still be some ways away from the Corolla Altis or even the Vios in terms of driving performance; but for what it is, which is an entry-level city car, it’s a perfectly great choice.
For More Inquiries and Reservations:
Leonora Michael
Group Sales Manager
Vehicle Sales Dept.
Toyota Iloilo Inc.
09199977101 Smart/ Viber
09177716469 Globe/ iMessage
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