It seems that we will be able to enjoy the new Vios recently launched in Thailand for less than RM70,000! This is for the lowest spec version of course, which could possibly be offered with a manual transmission. The Edge Daily has an exclusive report that UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd plans to offer the new third generation (second gen in our market) Toyota Vios at a price of just under RM70,000, the first for a brand new Japanese sedan in a very long time.

If all goes well, this is very good news for the rakyat indeed. While still more expensive than our northern neighbours in Tomyamland who get to enjoy the Vios for between RM50,849 to RM69,830, beggars with the NAP over their heads can’t be choosers.

I really have to give it to the guys at UMW Holdings Bhd. They practically have the whole market cornered. The current Perodua Kancil and the upcoming Perodua Viva should conquer the below RM40,000 market, the Myvi rules the RM40,000 to RM50,000 market, and the new Vios will most likely conquer the B-segment Japanese sedan market as well, following the success of the current Vios. The Camry has proven to be a hit despite rumours of deliveries being hit by AP issues, and while the Civic currently reigns in the C-segment sedan sales, there’s no telling what the new Corolla will do to that segment once it is launched. Kudos to UMW’s outstanding performance.

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UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd is taking it’s operations here to the next step. It will start manufacturing cars here in Malaysia, with the first roll-out expected in 18 months time.

Toyota’s sales success of around 7000 cars a month has reached a milestone where it will begin to be financially feasible to manufacture vehicles locally instead of importing CKD kits and merely assembling them here in Malaysia. These Malaysian-manufactured Toyota cars would have over 60% local content. Toyota officials did not mention which models would be manufactured locally, but it is likely the high volume models like the Toyota VIOS which accounts for 1,500 units of the 7,000 monthly sales figure.

There is a future possibility of price reductions for the locally manufactured vehicles from cost-savings from its operations, but this is just a possibility. UMW Toyota is also exporting a vehicle assembled locally to Thailand beginning next Monday. The model exported will be a van model.

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