UMW Toyota Previews More Muscular-Looking Vios
Kuala Lumpur, 5 October 2007 – UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd hosted a preview of the new Toyota Vios last night for the Malaysian media last night at the Mid-Valley Megamall.
It looks very similar in size and shape to the current Vios, but according to the Executive Chief Engineer, Mr. Yoshihiro Sawa, there have been improvements to the ride comfort, and engine power. The platform is different from the that of the current Vios, and although the main suspension components are similar, some tuning has obviously been done, as Mr. Sawa is very enthusiastic about it, requesting that the media judge for themselves when they get a chance to test drive the new car.
According to Mr. Sawa, even though the horsepower and torque figures of the 1.5 litre Vvti engine remain the same, as far as the engine is concerned, there has been some fine tuning done to the engine control unit (ECU) and the transmission control unit (TCU). As a result, he says that the drivability of the new Vios has improved over the previous model. The new engine is also Euro4 compliant.
At the preview, Dato’ David Chen, Managing Director of UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd stated that the Vios is a very important model to the company, as it will make up approximately 25 percent of UMW Toyota’s total sales. Dato’ David Chen said, “As you are aware, the Toyota Vios was first introduced here in Malaysia in 2003. The Vios was and still is positioned as Toyota’s entry level sedan designed to meet the needs of a young generation looking for quality, performance, reliability and value. Well, I am happy to say that the response has exceeded our expectations. to date, we have sold over 82,000 units making the Toyota Vios the best selling model in its category. We are confident that this latest model will be just as well received by the Malaysian public.”
The new generation of Vios takes on a more aggressive-looking front mask, very close to the hot hatch Toyota Yaris. According to the brief, the wheel base has been extended slightly over that of the current model, which gives the interior a little more room, which according to Mr. Y Sawa, is 5mm more. The overall height has also been increased by about an inch (25mm). Don’t expect to see a huge expanse of space when you get in; for all practical intents and purposes, you are getting basically the same size car; at the very least, you know it is not any smaller.
The new Vios comes in three variants, with the 1.5S being the top of the line, complete with a ‘sporty’ body kit to give the car an impression of being more sporty; mechanically, the car is the same as the next in line variant. Next is the 1.5G variant, which is basically the 1.5S minus the body kit. Both these variants are equipped with disc brakes for the front and rear. The entry-level model is the 1.5E, which comes with a lower level of trim and (ugh) drum brakes in the rear. All variants come with airbags and ABS, BA and EBD.
Prices for the new Vios are as follows: RM88,600 for the 1.5S, RM85,300 for the 1.5G, and RM78,900 for the 1.5E. All prices are on-the-road prices. The public launch will be on October 19, 2007.
