Showing bullishness despite the raging pandemic, car manufacturer Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) officially unveiled on Saturday, July 25, the 2020 update of its locally made passenger car – the Toyota Vios.
The Philippines is the first country to launch the new Vios model and will serve as Toyota’s bold bet to lead the resurgence of the local auto industry. Introduced in an online launch program, the new Vios is expected to continue its streak as the Philippines top-selling car – a record it has been holding for more than a decade now.
“You can count on TMP to stay true to our promise of making the world’s best Vios, and in the process, helping the economy, and providing livelihood to thousands of Filipino families” said TMP president Atsuhiro Okamoto during his remarks, pertaining to the local production of the Vios in TMP’s Santa Rosa, Laguna manufacturing plant.
The new Vios lineup boasts improvements on its looks and features across nine available variants – G CVT and M/T, E CVT and M/T, XLE CVT and M/T, XE CVT, and J and J Base in M/T.
It features an upgrade on its exterior with the glossy black front grille, accentuated by the 3-tier LED headlights and daytime running lights for G variants. The G, E, and XLE variants also get LED foglamps. The G variants have 16” alloy wheels and LED rear combination lamps with line guide.
The car has a smart entry feature and push start button for G variants. Paddle shifters and drive modes (Eco Mode and Sport Mode) are also available for the G CVT variant.
All variants of the new Vios come with SRS airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution + Brake Assist, Vehicle Stability Control and Hill-Start Assist Control. Back camera is available from G variants, and customers may choose from three or seven SRS airbags for certain variants.
The SRPs for the New Vios variants that are covered by TMP’s nationwide “One Price Policy” are as follows:
Buyers of the New Vios can enjoy free periodic maintenance package up to 20,000 kilometers, 5-year warranty, and one-year comprehensive insurance. The New Vios will also be made available through the recently introduced car-leasing program, Kinto One.
The Vios has been the quintessential road companion of Filipinos, with almost 320,000 units sold since making its debut in the Philippine market in 2003. In 2019, the Vios ended the year with a 38.6% market share in its segment.
“Under the CARS Program of the government, the Vios is our flagship. It helps support almost 55,000 lives throughout the Toyota network, 71 dealers, 56 local suppliers and countless other business and trade partners,” Alfred Ty, chairman of TMP said in a statement.
“Our Toyota Vios is a symbol of the best of Japanese technology and Filipino craftsmanship. In my mind, our Vios has become the national car of the Philippines. Atin ito. Gawa ng Filipino para sa Filipino. Proudly made in the Philippines, by Filipinos, for Filipinos,” Ty said.
