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Toyota Aygo X-Wave pops its top

Chop the top off a car and you'll let the sunshine and warm air in, but you'll also get a car that's heavier, less rigid and costlier. That's why European hatchbacks in particular have been increasingly favoring retractable fabric roof panels that keep the structural integrity in tact while letting the sunshine in. The Fiat 500C, Citroen DS3 Cabrio and Renault Twingo all offer this type of setup – as do the Peugeot 108 and Citroen C1, and now their Toyota platform-mate is following them down the same path. Recently announced in the UK is this Toyota Aygo with X-Wave roof option. It's a black canvas panel that opens up the space above both rows of seats at the push of a button. Unlike the roofs on some of the other aforementioned European city cars, it doesn't extend all the way down to the base of the back window, but that just means it doesn't stack up and impede cargo space and rearward visibility. Toyota is bundling the X-Wave roof option with additional equipment like upgraded lighting, infotainment system and alloys for GBP895, taxes included (equivalent to $1,355 at today's exchange rates). That's a lot less than Fiat, for example, gets for upgrading from a 500 to a 500C on either side of the Atlantic. It's also even less than Peugeot and Citroen charge for similar options on their versions of the same vehicle in the UK, and that strikes us as a pretty cost-effective way to go motoring with the top down. LESS METAL, MORE FUN WITH AYGO'S X-WAVE OPEN TOP OPTION How do you make driving a Toyota Aygo even more fun? One sure-fire way is to provide some classic open-top enjoyment with a new retractable x-wave canvas roof. Looking ahead to longer, warmer days, Toyota has launched the x-wave as an option on the five-door Aygo x-pression model. Finished in black, the roof is factory fitted and is full length, ensuring that anyone travelling in the rear seats also gets to enjoy some of the wind-in-the-hair experience. The roof is electrically operated, using a simple switch next to the map light control in the headlining. Specifying the x-wave adds even more appeal to the Aygo x-pression, which also features 15-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, projector headlights with LED daytime running lights, the x-touch multimedia system with DAB and Bluetooth, reversing camera and air conditioning.

Cars we're thankful we drove in 2019

We drove a lot of cars in 2019, and there's still a month to go. We drove them in our home office in Michigan, at our remote offices in Seattle, Portland, Ore., and Columbus, Ohio, and throughout the globe on myriad press launches. We could count them, but hey, that seems boastful.  Instead, we want to be thankful. Not only for the opportunity to do this wonderful task some might describe as a "job," but for the new, shiny cars that brighten our days (and most hopefully yours). We asked our fellow editors which car they were most thankful to drive in 2019 ... here are our answers. 2019 Hyundai Veloster N Performance Senior Editor Alex Kierstein Every once in a while a car comes along that changes the narrative on a company or its segment, and everyone scrambles to experience it for themselves. This year, for me, that car’s the Veloster N Performance, perhaps the most transformative car the companyÂ’s ever built. Everyone whoÂ’s driven it, here and elsewhere, says it captures all those intangibles that make great driving hatchbacks great. And IÂ’m thankful that I got a go in it before all of them left the fleet, because it does. It upends the segment long dominated by the GTI, a car that nails its brief. The N is rowdy and loud, sure, but it also has some of the most deftly tuned suspension IÂ’ve come across in a front driver. My advice: if youÂ’re in the market for something fun and unique, go test drive a Veloster N. I think youÂ’ll be thankful you did. 2019 Hyundai Veloster N View 47 Photos 2019 Audi E-Tron Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder IÂ’m pleased that I got to drive the Audi E-Tron. ThatÂ’s high praise for a year in which I also drove the stellar Jaguar I-Pace. The E-Tron, while not as sporty as the Jaguar, is excellently executed, and feels like a more refined, polished offering. ItÂ’s quick, whisper-quiet, comfortable, stylish inside and out, and incredibly sturdy. Some may lament that it doesnÂ’t do much to stand out from ICE vehicles, but I donÂ’t think it needs to. What it does need to do is win over the electro-skeptical, and I think Audi put its best foot forward with a crossover that can do just that, and more. So, yeah, not only am I thankful that I got to drive it, IÂ’m glad that itÂ’s compelling enough that itÂ’ll hopefully make potential customers feel the same. 2020 Audi E-Tron View 13 Photos 2013 Peugeot 508 West Coast Editor James Riswick My choice totally sucks.

Toyota expands Takata airbag inflator recall

The Basics: Toyota will recall 198,000 examples of the 2008 Corolla and Matrix and the 2008-2010 Lexus SC430. The Problem: The vehicles contain Takata's dual-stage inflators in their front passenger airbags, which could rupture in a crash. Injuries/Deaths: None reported in this population of vehicles. However, experts believe Takata's inflators have links to at least ten fatalities. The Fix: Dealers will replace the part with a newly manufactured one. If You Own One: Toyota will notify owners about the recall by first-class mail in March and will send a remedy letter in June when the parts are ready. TOYOTA EXPANDS TAKATA AIRBAG SAFETY RECALL TORRANCE, Calif., March 2, 2016 – Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. today announced that it is expanding two of its recalls involving Takata front passenger airbag inflators. This will add model years of certain vehicles previously recalled and will cover all remaining dual-stage front passenger inflators of a particular type, as a precautionary measure. Approximately 198,000 Model Year 2008 Corolla and Corolla Matrix and Model Year 2008-2010 Lexus SC430 vehicles will be added to the recalls. The involved vehicles are equipped with a Takata-produced dual-stage front passenger airbag inflator which could potentially be susceptible to rupture when deployed in a crash. All known owners of the affected Toyota / Lexus vehicles will be notified by first class mail. Dealers will replace the airbag inflator or the airbag assembly with a newly manufactured one at no cost. Information about automotive recalls, including but not limited to the list of involved vehicles, is subject to change over time. For the most up-do-date Safety Recall information on Toyota, Lexus or Scion vehicles, customers should check their vehicle's status by visiting toyota.com/recall and entering the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Safety Recall inquiry by individual VIN is also available at the NHTSA site: safercar.gov/vin. For any additional questions, customer support is also available by calling Toyota Customer Service at 1-800-331-4331, or Lexus Customer Service at 1-800-255-3987. ###