THIS is one compact crossover that definitely has the X factor.

I drove the Aygo when it was first launched as a city mini - and my how it has grown.

Toyota's latest Aygo X Exclusive (actually pronounced ‘cross') may be much bigger than the original, but it has lost none of its charm.

The exterior is imposing with an eye-catching face featuring large LED headlights plus daytime running lights as well as a mesh grille in gloss black - the same colour as the roof which features a neat wave design.

There are also flared wheel arches, 18-inch alloy wheels, black wheel arch mouldings and rear privacy glass to hide your celebrity passengers.

The rear window also acts as the bootlid with the Toyota badge and Aygo X logo prominent and the rear light cluster wrapped neatly around it.

Lifting the bootlid reveals a surprisingly roomy 231 litre storage area with more than enough room for a couple of overnight bags - while the rear seats split and fold over when you need more luggage room expanding the space available to 829 litres.

The increased dimensions also mean there is more space for all occupants with two adults okay for the back seats, provided those up front aren't giants, while the Aygo X's tall stance means there is plenty of headroom.

One slight quibble is with the rear doors which aren't the widest opening ever designed so you have to be reasonably nimble getting in and out of the car.

A push-button ignition fires up the efficient one-litre three-pot engine linked to a CVT automatic transmission - a five speed manual is also available.

It propels Aygo X to 62mph from a standing start in a shade over 15 seconds on its way to a claimed top speed of 94mph. On paper it is not the quickest but it is actually quite a nippy individual and didn't feel underpowered at any stage - especially around town.

Running costs won't break the bank as I achieved 50mpg during my week of mixed motoring with carbon emissions of 114g/km.

It is good to drive with decent handling as the steering has been set for European roads so offers great feedback while the ride is mostly smooth thanks to a tweaked suspension that handles most of what is put in front of it.

A large touchscreen dominates the centre of the dashboard giving access to Toyota's latest multi-media system. This offers cloud-based navigation and Toyota Smart Connect which introduces the MyT smartphone app allowing you to keep an eye on a wealth of data relating to the car.

Wireless smartphone connectivity is available via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a charging tray is provided.

The dual-zone climate control with pollen filters handily sits separately below the touchscreen so there is no need to mess with the sat nav when you want to change the temperature.

Up front there are two cup holders and a cubby hole with a golvebox and door bins also available for storage. There is only one cup holder for those in the rear with a curious lack of cubby hole space.

Leather covers the three-spoke steering wheel but most of the other materials used are functional rather than luxurious.

Where the Aygo X does go overboard though is on safety equipment and driver assistance aids.

Toyota's Safety Sense package allows day and night pedestrian detection, daytime cyclist detection, collision mitigation support functions, intelligent adaptive cruise control, lane trace assist and emergency steering assist to make their first appearances on an Aygo. There is also a pre-collision system with vehicle detection.

Additional measures to protect you and yours include six airbags, a tyre pressure warning system, seatbelt reminders, speed limiter and eCall.