Toyota Vios

The cabin layout of the Toyota Vios has remained unchanged for a long time now, which does make the cabin look contemporary when compared to other cars from the rival automakers and even new-generation Toyotas like Corolla and Avanza. Having said that, the Toyota Vios has one of the most practical and well-laid out interiors on the market today. The all-black cabin of the Vios looks decent, if not bare-basic, with the contrast silver bits on the sides of the centre console and steering wheel adding to the premium appeal of the sedan on the inside. 

Seats and upholstery

While the J and E variants of the Toyota Vios offer fabric seats, the top-spec G variant is bestowed with premium perforated leather seats, with all of them finished in a theme of black. The rear seats of the base-spec J variant are fixed, but the same in the E and G variants get 60:40 split foldability. The rear centre armrest integrated into the rear seats of the Toyota Vios also features two cup holders. 

Comfort and convenience

The cabin of the Toyota Vios is not extremely feature-rich to woo the younger audience, but it still gets a lot of useful bits to make the cabin look new-age and practical. The instrument console of the Toyota Vios looks attractive with chrome surrounds for analogue dials and a comprehensive 4.2-inch full-TFT MID screen. The three-spoke leather-wrapped tilt-adjustable steering wheel looks simple and comes with round-themed buttons on it for audio, Bluetooth and cruise control buttons, with paddle shifters behind it.

The other features which help the cabin of the Toyota Vios look premium are a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, a 6-speaker audio system, auto-dimming inside rearview mirror, push start-stop button, automatic climate control, leather front centre armrest and rear AC vents.

Entertainment, information and communication

The E and G variants of the Toyota Vios are specced with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is assisted by a 6-speaker audio system. However, the base-spec J variant of the Vios comes with a 2-DIN audio system which supports CD-player, radio, AUX-in, USB and Bluetooth.

Storage

There are plenty of storage spaces available in the cabin of the Toyota Vios. Apart from a wide glovebox on the co-passenger side of the dashboard, the cabin of the Vios has bottle holders within each door panel, two cup holders in the lower centre console and two cup holders in the rear centre armrest.

With this heavily-updated exterior, especially at the front, the Toyota Vios still looks very relevant in this day and age, when much newer vehicles are on sale in the country now. Compared to the previous version, this iteration of the Vios looks very sporty and commands attention.

At the front, the upper part of the grille of the Vios is the same as before, with a rounded Toyota logo sitting within a small body-coloured panel flanked by piano black bits with angular chrome slats between them. These chrome slats flow and integrate within the sleek looking angular full-LED headlamps, which are adorned with L-shaped daytime running LEDs.

It is the lower front profile of the front fascia of the Toyota Vios, which has completely transformed the identity of the sedan when viewed head-on. In the middle, the Vios now gets a Lexus-like large trapezoidal air dam with horizontal slats, all finished in black. The vertical fog lamp housings, which are positioned on the outer corners of the front bumper and house rounded fog lamps at their bottom, are also finished in a theme of gloss black.

Much hasn’t changed in the side profile of this version of the Toyota Vios when compared with the previous iteration of the sedan. The Vios now gets a new theme for the 16-inch machined alloy wheels, while it continues to get chrome-finished outer door handles and turn indicators integrated into the rearview mirrors. At the back too, little has changed in this version of the Vios, apart from new LED inserts in the combination tail lamps, a new boot-mounted slim-looking body-coloured spoiler and a slim diffuser at the bottom of the rear bumper. The reflectors are present in blacked-out housings in the corners of the rear bumper, which spread across the width of the bumper.

The Vios measures 4,410 mm long, 1,700 mm wide and 1,475 mm tall while having a wheelbase of 2,550 mm. The car weighs 1,145 kg, has a boot compartment of 506 litres and has a fuel tank capacity of 42 litres.

The Toyota Vios shares its XP150 series platform with the Yaris hatchback and gets the same suspension setup of Macpherson struts at the front and torsion beam at the rear, both of which are armed with stabilizers. There are two different tyre sizes prescribed for the Vios – 195/60 R16 tyres for the G and E variants and 185/60 R15 tyres for the base-spec J variant.

Like most of the Toyota offerings, the Vios focuses more on comfort and ease of driving, rather than outright driving mannerisms. While the Vios might not be a perfect driver’s delight, it is an easy car to drive, with a comfortable suspension setup making the ride quality plush and smooth. 

Powering the Toyota Vios is a tried-and-tested and very familiar 1.5-litre four-cylinder 2NR-FE series petrol engine, which also powers some other potent offerings from Toyota like Veloz, Avanza, Rush and Yaris. This engine is the standard powerhouse in all three variants of the Toyota Vios.

This naturally-aspirated petrol engine is offered with a CVT gearbox as standard in all the three variants and is capable of pumping out a maximum power output of 107 PS and a peak torque output of 140 Nm. The engine feels smooth and refined and impresses with its linear power delivery. However, at higher RPMs, the engine feels a bit out of breath and is best enjoyed in the mid-range, where it shines with its refinement levels.

If driven sedately, the Toyota Vios is capable of returning a fuel efficiency figure of 17.24 kmpl in real-world driving conditions. 

Apart from the heavily-updated front profile, another update that this version of the Toyota Vios received is an enhanced set of safety features. It is the first iteration of the Vios to get a set of autonomous driving assistance system (ADAS) features, which include a pre-collision system, lane departure alert and blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert.

The other important safety features of the Toyota Vios are a 3D panoramic rearview monitor, front digital video recorder, vehicle stability control, traction control, hill start assist, ABS with EBD, front and rear parking sensors and front, side, curtain and driver knee airbags. The Vios also had secured a 5-star ASEAN NCAP rating, which is a testimony to its safety.

 Warranty

Toyotas are generally considered to be reliable vehicles for a long term usage cycle, and the Vios follows the suit by offering a warranty of 5 years and unlimited kilometres. 

Toyota Vios vs the competition

The Toyota Vios is one of the oldest cars in the segment of midsize sedans, and its rivals are equally well-established in the market, which are as follows:

Honda City – The Honda City is the biggest arch-rival of the Toyota Vios, and has existed in the Malaysian car market for as many years as the Vios. Currently, in its fifth-generation version, which debuted in 2021, the new Honda City has grown bigger, which offers more advantages over the Vios in terms of space and comfort. There are two engine options on offer – a 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine, which produces 121 PS of power and 145 Nm of torque, and a full-hybrid powertrain comprising of a 1.5-litre four-cylinder Atkinson cycle petrol engine, two electric motors and a battery, the maximum power and torque outputs of which are rated at 127 PS of power and 253 Nm of torque.

Nissan Almera – Another Japanese rival to the Toyota Vios is the all-new Nissan Almera, which is one of the newest cars in the midsize sedan segment. Based on the Micra hatchback, the Almera gets an extended boot compartment over the former, while retaining the interior of the Micra with different upholstery options. The Almera is available in Malaysia with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine as standard. Offered with a CVT gearbox as standard, this engine produces 100 PS of maximum power output and 152 Nm of maximum torque output. 

Mazda 2 sedan – Based on the Mazda 2 hatchback, the Mazda 2 sedan is the most compact five-door sedan in Mazda’s lineup for the Malaysia car market. One of the most premium and well-built compact cars on sale in the country, the Mazda 2 is available in Malaysia with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine and a 6-speed automatic gearbox as the standard powertrain. This engine churns out a maximum power output of 115 PS, while the peak torque output is rated at 149 Nm.

 Final words

The Toyota Vios is not a car for a petrolhead who loves to be behind the steering wheel most of the time, nor it is for a buyer with a younger heart who adores and prefers to have new-age cool features in the cabin of his car. Instead, the Toyota Vios purely targets those car buyers who want a simple no-nonsense sedan, which offers a comfortable ride quality for both short and long drives, is easy to drive in every condition, and has a refined and reliable engine and is spacious enough for five people on board. All in all, the Toyota Vios is aimed at those family car buyers, who put their brains before their hearts while making car purchasing decisions.