Some thoughts on the upcoming 2013 Toyota Vios

This will be a short one without any complains about how bad something is at this point of time in and around Malaysia - like why the heck is the Malaysian Ringgit dropping against most major currencies and why is a deputy minister complaining about gangsters biting the dust. I am actually pleased that Toyota has come up with a Toyota Vios that looks pleasant from the outside and now the inside.

You see, I have no complaints about the exterior of the current Vios. It looks like a mini Toyota Corolla or Camry. In other words, it is as offensive to the eyes of the general public as a wall painted white in colour or a coconut tree on the beach. The upcoming one however is actually nicer to look at. Toyota have put more effort into styling the darn thing this time around and it looks good. The latest Toyota design philosophy is all over this Vios.



Toyota's current emphasis on design is on the lower part of its vehicles and to bring some 'soul' into their overall designs which Toyota themselves have admitted as slightly bland (more like watching paint dry dull actually). Note that there are more styling cues on the lower part of most new Toyota vehicles that have been launched recently. The lower part of the bumper/grille is aggressively styled and sculptured even more than before and I have to say that its a good effort by them. In short, I like the styling of the new Vios. The only issue I would have about this car's styling is that eventually it will become as common as a mamak restaurant in every corner of Kuala Lumpur when everyone starts buying them and driving them all over Malaysia.

Now it is the interior which has basically made my day. The meter cluster of this new Vios is now located where it should have always been - right in front of the driver. I hated staring at a blank plastic dashboard everytime I sat in the driver's seat of one of these cars with a meter cluster in the middle. The Toyota Estima, Hyundai Matrix, Perodua Kancil and the Toyota Vios has this middle of the dash meter cluster. It isn't as intuitive as Toyota wants you and me to think. You still have to glance a fair bit further than usual instead of those normal meter clusters. If you were a chap like me, who gets in and out of various cars (due to testing them, renting them whilst on vacation and so on) it is troublesome to adjust. And furthermore, even if you get used to driving a car with the meter cluster in the middle, it basically tells me that you driving a car which is not driver oriented. i.e not sporty.

So those Ah Bengs who think that their souped up Vioses are TRD speed machines, they are not. Whatever you add to the car will not make a difference if your meter cluster is situated in the middle of the dash (pictured above) . Your seat isn't situated in the middle of the car like the McLaren F1 okay? And get this, I believe Toyota or was it Perodua actually stated in one of their marketing blurbs that the middle position meter cluster was there so that the information on the meters could be shared with the other passengers. I suppose that would be a good thing for backseat drivers and for wives who love to nag at their husband "Wei, you're driving too fast lah, slow down. Why so slow lah? Yellow light lah...go faster..slow down...wait wait...go go". A middle meter cluster doesn't work.

The rest of the car's mechanicals are unchanged. You still get the 1.5liter engine coupled with with either a 4 speed automatic transmission or a 5 speed manual as previously. The rest of the mechanicals are also unchanged with slight tweaks to the suspension and safety equipment. I suppose this isn't so much of an issue as this would still make the Vios an inexpensive car to maintain in the long run. This would keep second hand residuals high and demand for it steady in the long run. I have to state that a 4 speed automatic is adequate in entry level cars for countries where cost is an issue in the long run. Toyota automatic transmissions are bombproof and you can't complain about that if this is your first car or you want to keep maintenance costs low throughout the car's lifespan. Furthermore then car is sub 1,100kgs, adequate gearing for a light, econobox.

And so, I like the upcoming Toyota Vios. I hope it comes soon and starts eating up sales of the supremely ugly, big arsed and therefore unbalanced looking Nissan Almera. You have to by one with the bodykit and big wheels to tone down its unbalanced looks - this adds money and isn't worth for such a basic car in the first place. This is regardless of the space it has. Heck, if you want so much space, buy a Perodua Alza. Or the hell with space, buy a Toyota Vios instead. You could get a Honda City, but that's not the point of this article.

I actually can't believe I am quite intrigued with a Toyota Vios and would be willing to actually get up from my lofty perch and test one. Times have certainly changed. Expect the new Toyota Vios to be launched in October 2013 here in Malaysia.