Toyota Vios

Toyota Vios
2022 Toyota Yaris Ativ Premium Luxury (AC100, Thailand)
Overview
ManufacturerToyota
Also called
ProductionOctober 2002 – present
Body and chassis
ClassSubcompact car (B)
Body style
LayoutFront-engine, front-wheel-drive
Chronology
Predecessor

The Toyota Vios is a nameplate used for subcompact cars produced by the Japanese manufacturer Toyota, primarily for markets in Southeast Asia, China and Taiwan since 2002.[1] Slotted below the compact Corolla, the Vios serves as the replacement to the Tercel (marketed as Soluna in Thailand since 1997 and Indonesia since 2000), which filled the subcompact or B-segment sedan class in the region. It is also successor to the entry-level variants of the E110 series Corolla in some markets such as the Philippines and Vietnam.

From 2005, the Vios was also marketed alongside its hatchback complement known as the Yaris in many countries globally. The second-generation Vios was released in 2007, which was marketed as the Belta in Japan and Toyota Yaris sedan in the Americas,[2] the Middle East and Australia. The second-generation model shares its platform with the XP90 series Vitz/Yaris.

The third-generation Vios was released in 2013, which shares the platform with the XP150 series Yaris hatchback. It is marketed in regions outside Southeast Asia, China and Taiwan as the Yaris sedan. Through a major refresh in 2017, the Vios shares the same styling as the refreshed XP150 series Yaris hatchback. The heavily facelifted model also gained more global presence by local production in Brazil, India and Pakistan as the Yaris sedan. A separate, less major refresh was introduced for the Chinese market Vios in 2016 alongside a hatchback model marketed as the Toyota Vios FS.

In Thailand, the 2017 facelifted model was marketed as the Toyota Yaris Ativ, which shares the smaller 1.2-litre engine with the Yaris hatchback. The 1.5-litre Vios continued to be sold alongside the Yaris Ativ until 2022,[3] using the Chinese market facelift styling.

The fourth-generation model was released in 2022 in Thailand as the Yaris Ativ. It was designed and engineered by Daihatsu using its DNGA platform.

The "Vios" name is derived from the Latin word "vio", meaning "go or travel (forward)",[4] while Toyota marketed the car in Indonesia in 2007 with the backronym "Very Intelligent, Outstanding Sedan".[5] In Indonesia, downgraded models of the Vios to cater for taxi fleet was marketed as the Toyota Limo through three generations. Toyota Vios is the best-selling car in the Philippines.[6]

  1. ^ Mazur, Eligiusz, ed. (2006). "World of Cars 2006·2007". World of Cars: Worldwide Car Catalogue. Warsaw, Poland: Media Connection: 273. ISSN 1734-2945.
  2. ^ "Yaris". Trinidad and Tobago: Toyota. Archived from the original on 6 August 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  3. ^ "Toyota to end production of Vios model in Thailand". nationthailand. 4 August 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Tianjin Toyota Launches Production of the VIOS" (Press release). Toyota. 8 October 2002. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Toyota Vios Brochure 2007 EN". Veikl.
  6. ^ "Philippines Full Year 2023: Toyota Vios scores 5th straight win in market up 18.6%". Best Selling Cars. 25 January 2024. Archived from the original on 29 March 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.