What we could expect in the 2019 Toyota Vios

Let's not argue about it; the Vios is one of the most resounding car models of its segment in the local market. A number of it is seen on national roads but if you haven't noticed recently, Toyota has been road testing something similar to its size. It's of an entirely fresh look, a subcompact sedan that we haven't seen in Toyota showrooms before. 

Get the hint, ladies and gentlemen, we're talking about the 2019 Toyota Vios. Yup, Toyota Motors Philippines (TMP) announced that its coming out later this month, along with a musical festival featuring famous local bands.

So, what does the 2019 Vios have to offer? No official information is out in the open for now but if we're going to dig up more on it and look at our “spy shots” closely, it’s the same as to what Thailand has as of the moment – the Yaris Ativ. This Thai-spec Vios is powered by a 1.2-liter 3NR-FE DOHC Dual VVT-i engine. 

Although the one under the hood of Yaris Ativ in Thailand is smaller, knowing that it still carries an NR-series engine could hint that the local 1.3 and 1.5-liter variants would still come with the same engine family as the outgoing model. 

Besides, the local-spec Yaris is still powered by 1NR-FE and 2NR-FE engines so expect that there would be little to no changes on the 98 hp and 106 hp of the 1.3 and 1.5 variants, respectively. The transmission options would still be five-speed manual and CVT.

Aside from that, TMP did release the 2018 Yaris back in December last year, so chances are, we’ve already seen how the 2019 Vios would look like inside and out, despite of it being a hatchback. After all, you could actually notice the obvious similarities upon inspecting the photos of the Thai-spec Yaris Ativ (Vios) and the local-spec Yaris side by side.

Both the Thai-spec Vios and locally-available Yaris could be the closest bases for hunches, as local sightings of the alleged 2019 Vios showed identical exterior design – long squinted headlights and stylish trapezoidal grille. The only difference that we see are the wheels. The 2019 Vios has what seems to be a set of two-tone alloy wheels. Well, those are the only things we've got so far, up until TMP releases the actual specifications.

The exterior may look far comparable from the one we have in the market today but that is not all. Even the interior is said to be refurbished, like, we could be getting the same interior treatment as the 2018 Yaris. We're pertaining to the more pragmatic, simplistic, and fashionable interior elements. If that's the case, there would be the restyled center console that features silver accents and the new steering wheel design.

Now, based on our “spy shots,” it seems like there’s going to be two trims for the 2019 Vios. One looks like the Thai-spec G or S variant, which features fog lights enclosed in a teardrop housing. This could be the base model, as the other one (in red) features much broader fog lamp vents and a rear lip spoiler - which should be the range-topper variant.

Another mood-setter is whether this new Vios will come with a push start ignition technology. The Yaris Ativ in Thailand has it; the local-spec Vios does not so we think it’s just about time, isn’t it?

And there you have it, our initial thoughts on the 2019 Vios. It will be launched on July 20, 2018, and you can bet your bottom peso that we’ll keep you posted on its official specs and details.