A low-cost city car built in Indonesia since 2013, sold under Toyota names across Asia, Africa and Latin America, and rebuilt for a second generation in 2023.
The Daihatsu Ayla is a city car built by Astra Daihatsu Motor in Indonesia since 2013. Toyota sells it as the Agya and the Wigo in other markets, and Perodua builds the Axia in Malaysia. A second generation arrived in 2023.
The Daihatsu Ayla is a city car that Daihatsu designed for emerging markets and that Astra Daihatsu Motor has built in Indonesia since 2013. Toyota sells near-identical versions as the Agya and the Wigo, and Malaysia's Perodua builds a reengineered version called the Axia. It is a budget city car aimed at emerging markets.
What is the Daihatsu Ayla?
The Ayla is a small hatchback sold mainly in Indonesia under the Daihatsu name. Toyota, which has been Daihatsu's parent company since 2016, sells the same car as the Toyota Agya in Indonesia, South Africa, Tunisia and the Americas except North America. Through an OEM agreement it is also the Toyota Wigo in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Brunei and Vietnam.
The Ayla's name comes from a Sanskrit word meaning light, while Agya means fast. Both names were chosen to fit the rules that govern the car in its home market.
A budget Indonesian city car that Toyota sells under two other names across three continents.
Why did the Ayla need an Indonesian name?
The name and the badge were shaped by the Low Cost Green Car programme, known as LCGC. The scheme is backed by the Indonesian government and gives tax exemption to eligible cars. It requires an Indonesian-inspired name and an Indonesian-inspired badge.
The Ayla therefore wears an A-shaped front logo. The Indonesian Agya carries a Garuda-inspired front badge instead. The later Agya GR Sport is not eligible for the scheme, which is one reason for its upmarket positioning.
How did the first-generation Ayla launch?
The first-generation Ayla and Agya were unveiled at the 20th Indonesia International Motor Show in September 2012. They were Daihatsu and Toyota's joint answer to the government's plan for the LCGC programme. The ratification of that programme was delayed by a year, which pushed mass production and the market launch back to September 2013.
Early models were powered only by a 998 cc 1KR-DE three-cylinder engine. In 2014 Toyota Motor Philippines introduced the car there as the Toyota Wigo, and the Wigo later went on sale in several other Asian markets.
What changed in the 2017 facelift?
The first facelift arrived on 7 April 2017, with development led by chief engineer Nobuhiko Ono. It redesigned the front and rear fascias and improved interior quality. The bonnet was extended for the 1.2-litre Ayla and for every Agya variant, while the 1.0-litre Ayla kept its previous headlights.
The facelift added two engines. The 998 cc 1KR-VE three-cylinder with VVT-i was offered on the Agya only, and a 1.2-litre 3NR-VE four-cylinder with dual VVT-i was made available across the range. The 1.0-litre Ayla kept the older 1KR-DE engine. The Wigo's first facelift followed on 10 May 2017.
What changed in the 2020 facelift?
The second facelift came on 19 March 2020 for the 1.2-litre Ayla and the Indonesian Agya. It brought an updated front bumper, redesigned side mirrors and digital air conditioning controls. The 1.0-litre Ayla kept its previous design.
On 9 August 2021 the TRD S trim of the Indonesian Agya was renamed GR Sport. The 1.0-litre Agya variants were removed in November 2021. The Wigo's second facelift was launched in the Philippines on 15 June 2020.
Which trims did the first-generation Ayla offer?
In Indonesia the first-generation Ayla was sold in eleven trim levels. They ranged from the 1.0 D, which had a five-speed manual and no power steering, through the 1.0 X and the 1.2 R. Some trims carried an aero kit, including the 1.0 M Sporty, the 1.0 X Elegant and the 1.2 R Deluxe.
The Indonesian Agya began with three trims: E, G and TRD S. Later it added 1.2-litre versions, including the 1.2 GR Sport from 2021. In the Philippines the first-generation Wigo came as the E, G and TRD S, and Sri Lanka took the 1.0 G and TRD S.
How did the Toyota Agya and Wigo sell abroad?
The Wigo reached Brunei in July 2015 with a single 1.0 G trim and an automatic gearbox. Toyota Motor Philippines backed its launch with a marketing campaign that featured the actors John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo, and the car won the Best Micro Car of the Year title from the Car Awards Group for 2014 to 2015.
In Vietnam the first facelifted Wigo arrived in 2018 in 1.2 G form. The second-generation Agya went on sale in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Peru from late 2023, and in Venezuela in 2025. The second-generation Wigo launched in Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines and Vietnam in 2023.
What was the Ayla Turbo concept?
The Ayla Turbo was a one-off concept unveiled at the 26th Gaikindo show in August 2018, built on the 1.2-litre car. It had a two-tone red and black exterior and a redesigned front and rear bumper.
Its 3NR-VE engine was fitted with a turbocharger, an intercooler, a wastegate and a blow-off valve, running 0.5 bar (7.3 psi) of boost. The output rose to 147 kW (197 hp; 200 PS) with 242 N-m of torque. The concept claimed 0 to 100 km/h in 10.3 seconds, which was 2.3 seconds quicker than the standard car.
The interior was stripped, a roll cage was added and FIA-certified Sparco racing seats were fitted. The air conditioning was removed. The car was still in development at the time, and it reportedly cost around Rp 500,000,000 (US$35,100 as of March 2019) to build.
What is the Ayla BEV?
The Ayla BEV is an electric conversion prototype that was first presented at the 29th Gaikindo show on 11 August 2022. It uses a 32 kWh battery and an electric motor rated at 60 kW (80 hp; 82 PS). The suspension was strengthened because the car is heavier than the petrol version.
What changed in the second generation?
The second-generation Agya was unveiled in Indonesia on 13 February 2023, and the Ayla followed on 15 February. Sales began at the 2nd Gaikindo Jakarta Auto Week on 10 March 2023. The cars share the DNGA-A platform with the A200 series Rocky crossover, which gave them a longer body and wheelbase.
Engines are a 1.0-litre 1KR-VE and a 1.2-litre WA-VE three-cylinder, paired with either a five-speed manual or Daihatsu's Dual-Mode CVT. The second-generation Ayla comes in three trims: 1.0 M, 1.0 X and 1.2 R. The Agya is offered as E, G and GR Sport, and a Stylix trim based on the G with CVT and GR Parts was introduced on 13 February 2025.
What went wrong with the side collision tests?
On 28 April 2023 Daihatsu confirmed that it had committed wrongdoings in the approval application for side collision tests under UN-R95 for four vehicles, including the A350 series Toyota Agya. The lining of the front door had been modified with a notch that does not appear on production cars. Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda and president Koji Sato publicly apologised, and Toyota re-tested the model before delivering it to markets with the UN-R95 side crash regulations.
How well has the Ayla sold?
As of February 2020, more than 214,000 Aylas had been sold in Indonesia, and 278,465 Agyas had also been sold. In September 2018 Toyota Motor Philippines recalled over 15,000 Wigos made between 5 April and 15 December 2017, because a faulty engine wire could break from vibration and reduce engine power.
What are the Daihatsu Ayla specifications?
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| First-generation launch | Unveiled September 2012, on sale September 2013 |
| First-generation engine | 998 cc 1KR-DE three-cylinder |
| 2017 engine additions | 998 cc 1KR-VE with VVT-i; 1.2-litre 3NR-VE with dual VVT-i |
| Second-generation launch | Unveiled February 2023, on sale a month later |
| Second-generation engines | 1.0-litre 1KR-VE; 1.2-litre WA-VE |
| Turbo concept output | 147 kW (197 hp; 200 PS), 242 N-m |
| Turbo concept 0 to 100 km/h | 10.3 seconds |
| Ayla BEV battery and motor | 32 kWh; 60 kW (80 hp; 82 PS) |
| Ayla sales in Indonesia | More than 214,000 by February 2020 |
| Agya sales in Indonesia | 278,465 by February 2020 |
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