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The Toyota Vios is a subcompact sedan and one of Toyota Motor Philippines' most treasured and best-selling nameplates, along with its bigger MPV and SUV brothers. The Vios nameplate was introduced in 2002 and is driven and tested by thousands of Filipino drivers, be it for public or private use. With this, the Vios is consistently among the country's best-sellers outselling many other vehicles in Toyota's lineup almost every year. Toyota proudly sells this sedan as a Philippine-made product, with the brand's plant in Santa Rosa churning out these subcompacts in order to meet demand in the Philippine market.
The refreshed Vios hosts a whole new exterior and interior design. Decorating the front are the long squinting headlights, teardrop-shaped fog lamp vents, plus a wide trapezoidal grille. Even the taillights have been stretched, wrapping to the rear quarter panel. TMP added new Prime variants to its lineup which are equipped with skirts, spoiler, and a differently-styled bumper straight out of the showrooms. The interior, on the other hand, saw a major makeover as well. The cabin features a newly-designed steering wheel that's similar to the one found in the Toyota Yaris, while the dashboard boasts a more unified styling to the sense that it flows smoothly towards the door panels.
The first-generation Toyota Vios was introduced in the Philippines in 2002. From then on, it has become a staple sedan among Filipinos and a common sight on Philippine roads. The second-generation Vios, on the other hand, was launched in 2007 and was affectionately called the "Batman" because of the shape of its grille.
Finally, the third-generation Vios landed the Philippine shores in 2013 with a bigger body and a new powertrain setup. In 2018, however, TMP gave its popular subcompact sedan a major revamp, which could make you think that it's an all-new model. The platform is the same, though, but the redesigned exterior and interior styling was way different from before.
The Toyota Vios comes in two powertrain options: the 1.3-Liter 1NR-FE gasoline engine that produces 98 hp and 123 Nm of torque, and the 1.5-Liter 2NR-FE mill with outputs of 106 hp and 140 Nm torque. Both engine options can be paired up with either a continuously variable transmission (CVT) or a 5-speed manual transmission.
The third-generation Vios sits on the Toyota B platform, shared with the Yaris and other small Toyota cars. The facelifted Vios carry over the same platform. Suspension setup remains at McPherson strut front and torsion beam rear, while brakes are both discs at high trim levels while rear brakes are relegated to trailing drums at lower J and Base variants.
Chassis | |
---|---|
Class | Subcompact Car |
Body Style | 4-Door Sedan |
Platform | |
Layout | Front-Engine, Front-Wheel Drive |
Platform | Toyota B Platform |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 1.3-Liter 1NR-FE Gasoline 1.5-Liter 2NR-FE Gasoline |
Power Output | 98 horsepower, 123 Newton-meter torque (1.3L) 106 horsepower, 140 Newton-meter torque (1.5L) |
Transmission | 5-Speed Manual Continuously Variable Transmission |
With two engine options available for the Vios, except different driving performance from each as well. The 1.3-liter 1NR-FE engine produces a decent 98 hp and 123 Nm of torque and is paired up with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Don’t expect a fast and spirited drive with this car. It's enough to get you around the city but quick highway drives will need more effort because of the rubber band effect of the CVT. The car could reach speed limits at its own pace but it would take time to do so especially when it’s loaded with passengers.
As for the 1.5-liter 2NR-FE, expect more grunt compared to the 1.3-liter counterpart. Handling's commendable on both cars as the steering wheel's nicely weighted, which makes highway drives planted, composed, and stable. It’s also easy to maneuver the vehicle even within tight spots and the absence of sensors. Body roll is naturally present, but minimal, especially at speeds. Brakes bite nicely, but can be improved.
As there are 8 variants available in the Toyota Vios lineup, tech and convenience features vary per trim. G and E variants get most of the better features, with motorized adjustments available at most of the variant level. These two variants also have the Optitron gauge clusters and steering wheel-mounted audio controls, which are a nice touch. Another piece of equipment found on both variants (and in the new XE variant) is the 7-inch touchscreen display audio system with iPod connectivity. Sadly, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto aren't standard in this model yet. Push-start ignition is present on G variants, nevertheless.
As expected, the Base and J variants are stripped down to bare essentials, with windows losing the powered controls at the back and the side mirrors needing manual adjustment.
The new refreshed Toyota Vios that was launched in 2018 got mixed reactions from the public and the motoring media, especially with the introduction of Prime variants. The non-prime variants feature a sleeker set of headlights and taillights than before, but the body size is pretty much the same with the pre-facelift model. The Prime variants, on the other hand, have bigger garnishings on the bumper and have other additions like side skirts and redesigned bumper lips. Halogen is still the bulb-type of choice, with the higher G variants getting projector types and LED daytime running lights.
As for the wheels, G variants have 16-inch alloys while the E trim sits on 15 inchers. The XE and J have 14-inch steelies with full cap, while the Base trim only has 14-inch steel rims.
The Vios' interior trimmings are pretty much the same at every variant level, with soft and hard plastics primarily found on each. G variants get the upper hand with leather wrappings at some part of the cabin. Also present at all variants of the Vios is the open-cabin feeling, which makes the Vios one of the most spacious cars in its segment.
At the back, there’s not much to play around with except for the bottle holders by the doors. Rear legroom and headroom is plenty for average-sized Filipinos, and a nearly flat rear tunnel only adds to the good amount of space for rear passengers.
Commendable in the Toyota Vios is the wide array of safety features that are found across the variant range. The interior's spacious as well plus ride comfort's good and pliant - perfect for Metro Manila roads.
What you might not like, however, is the lack of speed-sensing door locks even for the higher trim levels. The lack of LED lighting for range-toppers is quite disappointing as well, plus the CVT needs improvement for a better driving experience.
View our pricelist table and select a variant to view further specifications.
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Key specifications & features of the Toyota Vios. View engine specs, dimensions, safety and technology features in our full variant pages.
Body Type |
Sedan |
No. of seats | 5 |
Fuel Type |
Gasoline |
Transmission |
Manual CVT |
Max Output (HP) | 98 HP @ 6,000 rpm - 106 HP @ 6,000 rpm |
Drivetrain |
Front-Wheel Drive |
Wheel Size |
14 in - 16 in |
Airbags |
3 - 5
|
ISOFIX |
Available |
Front Parking Sensors |
Not Available |
Rear Parking Sensors |
Not Available |
Connectivity |
Aux, Bluetooth, USB, WebLink for IOS and Android
|
Warranty |
3 Years (100,000 km) - 5 Years (100,000 km) |
The Toyota Vios comes in the following colors: Alumina Jade Metallic, Black, Blackish Red Mica Metallic, Grayish Blue Mica Metallic, Red Mica Metallic, Thermalyte, Freedom White, Grayish Blue, White Pearl and Super Red
One of the best things found on the Vios is its plethora of safety features across the range. Present in the entire lineup are seven airbags, vehicle stability control, hill-start assist, ABS with EBD and brake assist, 5 3-point seatbelts, ISOFIX child seat tethers, and child lock protection. Toyota also standardized 3-airbags throughout the lineup, with 7 being an option.
With this, the Vios got 5 stars on the ASEAN NCAP testing, getting high ratings on both adult occupancy and child occupancy protection.
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Ask our team of experts any question and we will do our best to give you the best answer possible.
In our test of the 1.3L variant of the Vios, we got an average of 22.3 km/L after an hour on the highway with an average speed of 90 km/h.
Based on its population on the streets alone, the Toyota Vios is a reliable car that could last years of ownership. Parts availability is also one of the Vios' main strengths, thanks to third-party car parts available in the market.
In terms of fuel efficiency and emissions, the Toyota CVT found in the Vios is better than the conventional torque converter automatic transmission.
In its latest version, the Toyota Vios comes with a continuously variable transmission which is essentially a type of automatic transmission.
Technically, yes, since the Vios and the Yaris share a lot of things, namely the underpinnings, engine, interior layout, and even cabin space. What differs between the two is the trunk, wherein the Yaris gets a more flexible boot space courtesy of its hatchback body.
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