MANILA, Philippines - You know you’re dealing with an important car when public anticipation is high, and there is so much speculation because people just can’t wait to behold the successor of the outgoing model. By now many people already know that Toyota Motor Philippines’ bestselling car, the Toyota Vios, is due for a metamorphosis; and well, TMP decided to be creative and helped the public scratch that itch by holding a series of ‘Vios Sightingsâ€â€”a casual parade around town that showcased the all-new 2013 Toyota Vios traversing the streets of the metro.
The final leg was held just over the weekend, and the Star was able to catch—and join—the Vios convoy that drove through Makati, Edsa, Cubao, Ortigas and Roxas Blvd. last Saturday. Truly an eye catcher, the car invited a lot of curious stares and attracted a lot of people with questions. Our Vios that came in the same metallic orange as that of the Toyota 86 got the most attention, I reckon, as it stood out in the traffic and as the Vios had also never come in this color before. This latest embodiment of Toyota’s trademark subcompact is a huge step-up from its predecessor as far as styling is concerned. The car now looks a lot sharper, and its huge trapezoidal grille on its front fascia gives it a delightfully sporty vibe. The vehicle now also gets the luxury of projector headlamps, adding to the car’s overall more premium feel.
Also attractive are the sleek lines that run along the sides all the way to the rear where they meet the newly designed tail light clusters that slightly bulge out of the car’s body. And taking after the Prius, aerodynamic fins can now be found along the wing mirrors and the tail lights.
The flowing lines continue to the interior of the Vios, bestowing it with a more upmarket feel. The old middle console cluster orientation is dropped and is returned to the conventional configuration. The steering wheel now feels more premium, and even NVH seems to have improved.
Most delightful is the increased cabin space—the wheelbase was not increased, but headroom and rear legroom have improved significantly. Even the boot is impressively commodious. All exterior and interior reworkings of the 2013 Vios tease you into thinking that the car is upgrading itself into a different segment.
Underneath the body however, is the same drivetrain of the previous Vios. The model I drove used the familiar 4-speed gearbox mated to a 1.5L engine with automatic transmission.
The formal media launch of the all-new 2013 Toyota Vios is happening tonight at the SMX Convention Center, and a string of other Vios launch festivities are also taking place during the rest of the week. A Vios launch party will, in fact, be held this Friday night at the Fort Tent, and will be open to the public, for as long as you register to be included in their guest list via their website www.viosstartthefun.com. Test drives of the all-new Vios will also be open to the public this coming Saturday and Sunday, at the Alabang Town Center, Bonifacio High Street and Eastwood Mall. The price of the 2013 Vios starts at P592,000 for the base variant.