Having seen the actual car in the metal in Bangkok a few months ago, I was very keen to see just how well it would be received here. Boasting a completely refreshed look, and having proven to be a favorite among the non-national car buying segment, the new Vios is now officially available here. And, hard as it is to believe, there is still a 5-speed manual variant available too.
It’s Malaysia’s best-selling model in the non-national segment, and is now in its third generation. To date, close to 265,000 units of the first and second generation Vios have been sold nationwide since it was launched in 2003.
Developed with the concept of ‘Value Beyond Belief’, the new third generation continues with the same attributes that made its predecessors so popular among Malaysians: excellent fuel economy, low cost of maintenance, Toyota’s renowned Quality, Durability and Reliability, and most important of all, great value for money. As with every new model, the design team relied on feedback from customers to understand their expectations and needs. At the same time, the aim was also to provide a new generation of the Vios which would give a greater sense of pride to owners with a fresh new design and enhanced features to make it a class leader.
One of the reasons for the popularity and success of the Vios in Malaysia has been the wide choice of variants to suit the needs & preferences of buyers. The new generation continues to offer the same wide choice of five variants:
Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo with automatic transmission; RM 93,200.00
Vios 1.5G with automatic transmission; RM 88,500.00
Vios 1.5E with automatic transmission; RM 82,900.00
Vios 1.5J with automatic transmission; RM77,300.00
Vios 1.5J manual transmission; RM73,200.00
The All-New Toyota Vios includes improved styling, advanced automotive technologies and upgraded features for ALL variants, providing customers even greater ownership value and satisfaction. Order taking for the All-New Vios started on July 1st and to date, more than 8,000 units have been ordered. UMW Toyota Motor intends to sell approximately 36,000 per annum.
Speaking at the launch, Datuk Ismet Suki, President of UMW Toyota Motor, said “With this overwhelming response, we are sure the new Vios will be another success story for us.” Datuk Ismet Suki continued by giving a brief history and walk through of the evolution of the Vios in the Malaysian marketplace saying that since its introduction in 2003, “it has become the best-selling car in the non-national small PC segment. 6 out of every 10 Malaysian buyers in this segment choose a Vios since its introduction. As of August this year, sales of the Vios have reached close to 265,000 units.
Since 2003, the Toyota Vios has been locally assembled at UMW Toyota Motor manufacturing facility Assembly Services Sdn Bhd (ASSB) in Shah Alam. A substantial investment of more than RM 600 million were made for the Vios project, acquiring cutting-edge high tech equipment and tooling as well as in implementing improvements to the production processes.
UMW Toyota Motor is the only non-national car manufacturer with a full body stamping done locally. “We are also proud to announce that the local content in the new Vios has increased from 15% when we first started to now close to 50%.” said Datuk Ismet Suki. He also pointed out that “This demonstrates our support towards the government efforts in promoting localisation within the industry.”
President, Datuk Ismet Suki continued to give evidence of the popularity of the Vios by noting its “excellent fuel economy, riding comfort and of course good overall performance being “class above” competitors.” With average sales per year consistently close to 30,000 units, “the Vios has captured the hearts of Malaysians.”
Datuk Ismet added a special statement directed to Toyota customers saying, “. I would like to personally thank our customers for their support and for making this possible. Our customers’ opinions matter most. We are constantly listening and responding to their wants and needs, and constantly look for ways to surpass their expectations. This is reflected in the recent JD Power Index survey where we achieved SSI No.1 (Sales Satisfaction Index).
The All-New Toyota Vios offers an intelligent packaging, with a new flowing-dynamic exterior design, a more spacious cabin and an all-new interior. Along with this, improved specifications, such as Smart Entry & Push Start button, projector headlamps, acoustic windshield, headlamp leveling device and safety features introduction reflects Toyota’s commitment to explore ways to accommodate to customers’ needs and at the same time sustain their position as the most popular Toyota model in the country
Toyota has announced that there is NO price increase for the best selling 1.5J variant and only a minimal adjustment for the other variants (Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo, 1.5G and 1.5E). The on-the-road price for the new Vios with insurance starts at RM 73,200 and goes up to RM 93,200 for the top of the range. In conclusion, Datuk Ismet Suki noted that although it may have taken a while to introduce the new model, “we are confident that we have done everything possible to make the wait a worthwhile one”.
