Toyota Wigo 2022

The Toyota Wigo was launched by Toyota Motor Philippines in 2013 and was slated to compete with the Mitsubishi Mirage at that time. It instantly became a hit because of its affordable price tag, pint-sized appeal, and value-for-money proposition to budget-conscious Filipino car buyers. It also offers opportunities for many first-time car buyers to enter car ownership through a formidable brand name.

In 2020 the Toyota Wigo would yet again be updated by Toyota Motor Philippines this time giving it a refreshed face with the addition of a new more angular bumper,s a new set of wheels, and more features such as a dash camera, a new set of machine-cut 14-inch alloy wheels, and the addition of a reverse camera. Despite the new look the Wigo still retains the same engine and interior it had with the 2017 facelift of the small hatchback. Toyota did, however, add a new top-of-the-line variant in the form of the TRD S while retaining the G and E variants of the vehicle.

As a rebadged Daihatsu, the Toyota Wigo rides on Daihatsu's global A-segment platform that underpins Daihatsu and Toyota's small cars available in the region. The Toyota Wigo in the Philippines is powered by an inline 3-cylinder 12-valve 1.0-Liter 1KR-VE DOHC gasoline engine with VVT-i, capable of producing 66 metric horses and 89 Nm of torque. These output figures are sent to the front wheels via either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission.

Front and rear suspensions are McPherson strut with coil spring and semi-independent torsion axle beam with coil spring, respectively. Halting is taken care of by a 13-inch ventilated discs up front and drum brakes at the rear.

When it comes to the city driving the Toyota Wigo is a cinch to drive. The steering is nicely weighted but lies on heavy side. While it might be an initial turn of some adapting to the weight and feel is fairly easy. The steering gives allows the driver more control when turning but at the same time is heavy enough to keep the vehicle going straight on long stretches of road. In terms of ride comfort, the latest facelift of the Toyota Wigo carries over what the pre-facelifted model started. It does a good job of absorbing bumps on the road, however, due to its size you will still feel the imperfections.

There is one quirk when it comes to driving the Wigo in the city and it comes in the form of its automatic crawl feature. When crawling through bumper to bumper in its automatic variant, the engine will tend to shudder as if it will stall. As the car creeps forward the shuddering intensifies, however, this quickly disappears with a quick press of the accelerator. Despite this you will quickly get used to it and begin to realize that it is just a quirk of the automatic variants. The manual versions of the Toyota Wigo shouldn't have any problems when it comes to crawling through traffic.

When it comes to the highway the Toyota Wigo does decently utilizing all the power that its 1.0-liter 3-cylinder gasoline engine can muster. It can maintain highway speeds, however, expect engine and road noise to creep in as the small hatchback hums at 3,000rpm when traveling at 100kph. It is important to note, however, that due to its compact form factor, the small hatchback can become a bit unstable when it comes to taking on uneven sections of the highway. large or repeated road imperfection can cause the Wigo to track from side to side while in lane. Not to worry though as it easy to catch and keeping both hands on the steering wheel will help keep the small hatchback going straight even through road imperfections.

As an entry-level Toyota, the tech features inside the Wigo are stripped down to just essentials, and then some. Power adjustments are available for G trims, but the base variant doesn't have motorized side mirror adjusters.

The 2020 facelift of the Toyota Wigo builds upon where the last pre-facelifted vehicle left off giving it new additions such as a reverse camera and a dashcam. Toyota Philippines has also given it a new 7-inch infotainment system that now comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities for the top of the line TRD S variant. The lower variants such as the G still comes with a 7-inch infotainment system, however, this does not come with smartphone linking capabilities. It does, however, come with Bluetooth and Aux input. The entry-level E variant gets a 2-Din stereo system instead, that still features Bluetooth, USB, and Aux capabilities. New to the G and TRD S variant is the addition of a push-button start system which makes starting and stopping the small hatchback much easier.

Toyota's 2020 facelift to the Toyota Wigo has given the small hatchback a new and more aggressive-looking face. It now comes with a redesigned bumper that has a wider air intake at the lower bumper giving the vehicle more air and better cooling. All variants of the Toyota Wigo now come with LED taillights as well as halogen projector headlights. In addition, all models now come with line guide type clearance lamps. G and TRD S variants come with fog lamps while the E variant does not have it equipped. The G and TRD S variants of the Toyota Wigo also come with a rear spoiler high mount stop lamp that comes with LED lighting elements. The E variant does not have this equipped as standard. The TRD S variant also comes with a new Sport Kit that consists of a new front spoiler, side skirts, rear skirt, 2-tone rear spoiler, TRD S decals, and badging.

A new set of 14-inch wheels machine cut alloy wheels have been added with the recent refresh of the Toyota Wigo for the TRD S and the G variants. The entry-level E variant on the other hand gets a regular set of 14-inch alloy wheels similar to that of the pre facelifted model.

Toyota Philippines now offers the Toyota Wigo with 6 color options to choose from: Orange Metallic, Silver Mica Metallic, Gray Metallic, White, Black, Red, and Yellow SE as its newest color option. It is important to note that the Yellow SE color option is only available with the TRD S variant of the small hatchback.

The Toyota Wigo features a relatively ample cabin space even with its diminutive design. It can easily accommodate four adult occupants that fall under the typical Filipino height of 5’5”. The leg- and head-room for rear passengers are adequate but fitting 3 full-grown adults at the back seat could be a bit difficult. The Wigo also has ample trunk space. You can fit up to 5 regular backpacks with room for more. The refreshed Toyota Wigo also now comes with a new LCD air conditioner panel for the G and TRD S variants giving it a more premium feel. The E variant still retains the older knob type air conditioning controls.

As expected from an entry-level hatchback, the Wigo uses durable plastics for the most part of its black-themed cabin plus the seats are covered with fabric. There are also several storage spaces inside this small car, including door pockets. Toyota has also added a special red trim to the new highest tier variant - the TRD S to give the small hatchback a more sporty appeal.