Toyota unleashes new VIOS compact sedan

In a glittering spectacle that was more fashion show than automobile launch, market leader Toyota Motor Philippines unleashed its new Vios compact sedan to the Philippine market.

Held at the Le Pavilion tent in Roxas Blvd. last Thursday, the launch heralded the arrival of the much-awaited "baby Corolla Altis," the model that can only consolidate Toyota’s stranglehold on the passenger car market.

And in a move reminiscent of Brad Pitt shaking his bon-bons to sell the Corolla Altis two years ago, no less than Britney Spears sang the virtues of the Thailand-made Vios this time around. And virtues the Vios certainly has.

Wrapped in stylish sheetmetal that closely mimics the best-selling Altis, especially from the front and the side, the new Vios is roughly 10 inches shorter than its big brother Altis. It is narrower by an almost negligible 10 millimeters and lower in height by two inches. Its wheelbase is a full four inches shorter than the Altis’.

Under the hood, the Vios, whose name means "to move forward," packs either a 1.3- or a 1.5-liter twin cam fuel-injected variable-valve-timing (VVTi) engine, developing 85 and 107 hp, respectively - commendable but not necessarily outstanding power output figures. The two engines are equipped with catalytic converters to reduce exhaust emissions. Both variants come with standard five-speed manual transmissions although the 1.5-liter model is available with an electronic four-speed automatic transmission.

The chassis is suspended by a somewhat rudimentary front strut/rear beam setup while braking is handled by a conventional front disc/rear drum combo. (Wheels are understatedly handsome five-spoke 14-inch alloys.) There are no airbags or ABS in this entry-level Toyota although it does boast front seats with an anti-whiplash design as well as Toyota’s respected GOA-conforming body collision protection.

Inside, the Vios, regardless of variant, is fitted with plush moquette upholstery. Interior space is about par for the course as compact sedans go although the piece de resistance is certainly the avante garde-looking center-mounted digital instrument panel. The sleek silver finish of the 1.5G model’s 2-DIN-sized Eclipse audio system with CD and tape player wouldn’t be out of place in Toyota’s million-peso-plus Camry. (The 1.3E model sports an Alpine 1-DIN system with CD player only.)

All Vios models have power steering, power windows and door locks, although only the 1.5G power-adjustable side mirrors. Other features that set the higher-end 1.5G apart from its 1.3E sibling are front foglamps, color-keyed mudguards and a chrome license plate garnish for the former. The 1.3E does without foglamps and has black mudguards and a body-color rear license plate garnish.

Prices have not been announced as of press time although Toyota officials target the P550,000 to "just under" P700,000 range. This puts the Vios squarely in the same pricing ballpark as the likewise recently launched Honda City, another made-in-Thailand car.

Interestingly, the vehicle launches of both Honda and Toyota harped heavily on the "lifestyle" theme. Both manufacturers are positioning their new lower-end compact sedans as hip and vibrant alternatives to the upmarket (read: more expensive) Civic and Corolla than the affordable sedan alternatives that they really are. But judging from initial market response, perhaps the two leading carmakers are really onto something. City versus Vios. Let the games begin.