Toyota Vios

The interior cabin layout of the Toyota Vios reflects the simple and no-nonsense design approach executed on the outside of the car.

The multifunctional steering wheel  has been lifted off from the previous generation Toyota Corolla and makes up for a decent driver’s cockpit along with the simple dials for the instrument console, which has an offset design for the MID within the speedometer in the middle.

The centre console of the Vios looks unconventional looking vertical layout. The vertically laid centre portion has a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and the rectangular AC vents are placed below it. Just below the AC vents, the console gets a panel for the automatic climate control buttons too.

The Toyota Vios makes up for the lack of modernity with its extensive list of comfort and convenience features like black leather upholstery, electrically adjustable and foldable rear view mirrors, push button start with keyless entry, tilt adjustable steering, 8-speaker music system, ambient lighting, height adjustable driver’s seat and rear AC vents.

The Toyota Vios also manages sufficient space on the inside, especially at the rear, which gets  ample amount of leg room, knee room and shoulder room for three at the back.

The Toyota Vios looks like a balanced blend of sportiness and sophistication in its entire design, thus reflecting Toyota’s current design philosophy for all of its cars. The front fascia of the Toyota Vios looks bold with a sleek chrome grille which is designed in a partitioned manner and gets horizontally stretched headlamps on its either sides. These headlamps do have  projector units within them, however, the daytime running LEDs are placed on the upper corner of the trapezoidal air dam placed in the middle of the front bumper.

Compared to the aggressively styled front fascia, the side profile of the Toyota Vios looks quite plain, with a nice prominent curve flowing from the front fender to the rear door. At the back too, the Toyota Vios looks quite decent and simple with long and curvy tail lamps, which get LED inserts in them.

The Toyota Vios is fitted with a humble suspension setup of McPherson Strut with stabiliser at the front and Torsion Beam with stabiliser at the rear. The overall suspension of the Vios has been soft tuned for a comfortable ride quality, reflecting the relaxed character of the sedan.

Both the variants of the Toyota Vios are powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four cylinder petrol engine, which makes a maximum power output of 108PS and a peak torque output of 140Nm. The engine sounds nice with excellent refinement levels, but its does lack the poke one expects from a punchy petrol engine. The linear power delivery is best suited for smooth urban driving well complemented with the standard transmission option of a 7-speed CVT gearbox.

The Toyota Vios follows the tradition of being equipped with segment best safety features list of all its other sibling. The sedan gets seven airbags, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, ISOFIX mounts for child seats, seat belt pre-tensioners with force limiters, Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control, Hill-start Assist Control, rear parking sensors and reverse parking camera.

Focusing on the mature set of buyers in the market who are out for a budget oriented practical sedan, the Toyota Vios fits their bill as a great family car. It might be lacking in terms of outright character when it comes to sheer driving pleasure, but proves its mettle in practical grounds like space and ride quality as well as features on board, which makes it a viable option for those upgrading from a small hatchback.