|
HARDTOP: By Vernon B. Sarne
WHEN the first-generation Toyota
Vios was launched in 2003, pop princess-turned-freak show Britney
Spears served as its endorser in various Asian markets. This, after
Brad Pitt had shaken our bon-bons by peddling the Corolla Altis.
Four years after and the Vios is a smash hit while Britney is a huge
flop.
How fortunes change. I have no
doubt in my mind that Britney was largely responsible in introducing
the Vios to young, first-time car buyers. Back then, she was on top
of the entertainment world—until she married a no-life loser. Now
all we remember her for is her apparent distaste for underwear. The
Vios, meanwhile, went from strength to strength, outselling every
passenger car in our local market and cementing Toyota’s
reputation for quality, reliability and value for money. Last year,
the car sold a total of 9,406 units, becoming the second
best-selling vehicle in the Philippines, next only to Toyota’s own
Innova.
On July 12, Toyota Motor Phils.
unveiled the all-new, second-generation Vios before the press and
Toyota’s dealership network. The general consensus is that this
new car has nothing in common with Britney—except perhaps that
both of them significantly grew in size.
This new Vios already penetrated
the discriminating North American market last year, known there as
the Yaris sedan. So if you think the new Vios looks so much like the
Yaris hatchback, that’s your answer right there. That this
particular model is already available in the US only means one
thing: It has topnotch craftsmanship, fit and finish. Everyone
agrees it looks a lot better than the model it replaces, outside and
perhaps even more so inside. I say this because the exterior styling
of the first Vios was already commendable. It’s in the cabin that
it lost so much ground to Honda’s City and Jazz. With that car,
you immediately knew just where exactly Toyota cut the production
costs. Cheap-looking and even cheaper-feeling plastic dominated the
interior. Toyota has remedied that big time in the new Vios.
You’d think Toyota would have a
difficult time improving upon the first Vios model, but the
automaker has done exceptionally well, giving the new Vios a longer,
lower body to go along with strategically placed curves and edges.
Bulges combine with clean lines to make the new Vios look sturdier
despite appearing to be sportier and more modern.
As mentioned, the new model is
classier by leaps and bounds. Leaping right at you is the prominent
center console featuring Optitron gauges (just like in the Yaris),
an integrated audio unit (bad if you’re into aftermarket stuff), a
humongous multi-information display (nice touch on a car in the
subcompact class), and three huge climate-control knobs (the
triangular arrangement looks hip). The steering wheel, meanwhile,
receives audio-control buttons, while the rear backseats recline a
full 180 degrees to make room for more luggage (or when you need to
get some nookie).
Under the hood, the
first-generation Vios’ pair of tested engines soldier on: the
1.5-liter 1NZ-FE 16-valve DOHC VVT-i (107 horsepower) and the
1.3-liter 2NZ-FE 16-valve DOHC VVT-I (85 horsepower). The 1.3 E and
J variants are available only with a five-speed manual transmission,
while the 1.5 G has the option of a four-speed automatic shifter.
Both the high-end G and midlevel
E variants boast antilock brakes, electronic brake force
distribution and brake assist. The G also gets dual front airbags.
The best thing about the new Vios
is that it will now be manufactured at TMP’s Santa Rosa, Laguna,
assembly plant. With this development, Toyota is looking to double
its current production output, which means more jobs for Filipino
workers.
The new Vios comes in seven
colors: super white, medium silver metallic, red mica metallic,
beige metallic, grayish blue metallic, black, and silver metallic.
Toyota as set the introductory prices at P811,000 for the 1.5 G A/T
(leather seats); P765,000 for the 1.5 G A/T; P730,000 for the 1.5 G
M/T; P649,000 for the 1.3 E M/T; and P575,000 for the 1.3 J M/T.
In summary, the new Vios has been
improved inside and out, and it stands to benefit a lot of people.
Something you can’t say about Britney. Come to think of it: Her
life and career went downhill after endorsing the first Vios. I
guess you’d lose it, too, if you met a car that made more sense
than you ever did.
|
