[ LATEST UPDATE: Click here to find out more details on the Toyota Vios that will be available here in Malaysia, straight from the Malaysian press preview launch! ]
[ LATEST UPDATE #2: The official launch prices for the 2007 Toyota Vios has been released by UMW Toyota Motor. The sporty top of the range Vios 1.5S is priced at RM88,100. The mid-range Vios 1.5G costs RM84,800 and finally the baseline 1.5E costs RM78,700. Click here for more details. ]
UMW Toyota Motor has put up a teaser section on the new 2nd generation Toyota Vios (known as the Toyota Belta in Japan) on their website in place of the usual section where information on the first generation Vios was available.
There are 3 trim levels available, up from two from the previous generation Vios. All three are 1.5 litre versions and none of them are under 70K as previously mentioned, so I suppose either the cheaper models will come later, or they are just missing from the teaser and will all be launched together.
Toyota Vios 1.5E
The baseline Toyota Vios is the 1.5E model which features front disc brakes and rear drum brakes with 14 inch alloy wheels wrapped with 175/65R14 tyres. This baseline model has it’s turn signals on the fender and foglamps on the front bumper.
On the interior, you have an electric power steering with a steering wheel that’s tilt adjustable but not reach adjustable. Seats are fabric seats done up in beige, and the interior is generally a two tone dark grey and beige/silver colour scheme. The centrally-mounted meter cluster uses analog white meters are there is no multi-information display – this will probably be a trip computer with fuel economy calculation of sorts. The in-car entertainment system uses a 1-DIN standard size CD player with 4 speakers.
Both the 3-spoke steering wheel and shift knob are wrapped with urethane. Wing mirrors are manually adjustable. The Vios 1.5E has no hood silencer and only has an inner dash silencer. This shouldn’t be too much of a hassle as you can add your own sound-proofing later from aftermarket accessories. Safety features include ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, and a single driver airbag.
The Toyota Vios 1.5E is estimated to be priced at RM79,200.
Toyota Vios 1.5G
The middle-child is the Toyota Vios 1.5G. Brakes have been upgraded to include discs at the rear. The steering wheel is similar to the 1.5E, but it is now wrapped with leather, and so is the shift lever and knob. The in-car entertainment system uses a dash integrated head unit with a tuner and a CD player featuring MP3 and WMA support. This is hooked up to a 6-speaker system.
Other than that, the interior is the same 2-tone dark grey and beige/silver interior as the baseline model. The turn indicator is now mounted on the wing mirrors, which are power adjustable and retractable. As for sound dampening, this mid-range model gets a hood silencer and a better dash silencer with both inner and outer silencing material. Safety features are similiar to the 1.5E, except this model has two airbags – one for the driver and one for the front passenger.
The Toyota Vios 1.5G is estimated to be priced at RM85,300.
Toyota Vios 1.5S
This is the top of the range Toyota Vios. The Toyota Vios 1.5S can be seen as the sportier model of the range as it is fitted with an aerokit on the exterior. It’s specifications are an upgrade over the Toyota Vios 1.5E, so whatever the 1.5E has, the 1.5S will have something equivalent or better.
The interior is a more sporty dark grey and black combination colour scheme, and the centrally mounted meter cluster are Optitron meters which light up in amber. There is also a multi-information display, something all the other variants do not have. This display will probably be a trip computer of sorts, providing you with various information like average fuel economy.
The Toyota Vios 1.5S is estimated to be priced at RM88,600.
Mechanically there is nothing much new Toyota Vios as the proven 1NZ-FE 1.5 litre engine with 109 PS at 6,000rpm and 141Nm of torque at 4,200rpm is retained, but the usage of an electric power steering in this new Vios instead of a hydraulic power steering in the old Vios might contribute a little to fuel economy and power.
As it is counter-productive to repeat everything about the car here, please read my previous posts on the new Toyota Vios linked below to learn more about the car and view more photos.
Related Posts:
New Toyota Vios launched in Thailand
Toyota Belta on test in Thailand as Toyota Vios
UMW Toyota plans to price new baseline Toyota Vios at under RM70,000
2006 Toyota Belta (JDM name for Toyota Vios)
Toyota Human Touch advertisement featuring Toyota Belta/Vios
