The Toyota Vios remains to be one of the best-selling cars in the Philippines.

Since its debut in 2003, it has dominated the B-segment by offering the ideal blend of practicality, performance and running costs. Indeed, it is the go-to choice of fleet buyers who need a tough subcompact car, such as taxi operators, driving schools, the police and even racing drivers.

That’s why when a new Vios arrives, it’s always big news. Indonesia was the third Southeast Asian country after Thailand and Laos to get the next-generation Vios after its launch there on Oct. 12, 2022. 

Our colleague Argus from AutoFun Thailand was able to try out their version of the Vios, called the Yaris Ativ. Here’s what he thinks.

Peppy acceleration and stellar fuel economy

Unlike the 1.5-liter engine available in Indonesia, the Thai-market Yaris Ativ is powered by a 1.2-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 to make it eligible under the country’s Eco Car tax incentive program.

It produces 94 PS and 110 Nm of torque and is paired with a continuously variable transmission. Although acceleration in city driving was good, it did take 16.46 seconds to do 0 to 100 km/h with two passengers onboard.

The transmission has three power modes: Eco, Normal, and Power, with the third mode revving noticeably higher.

Nonetheless, fuel economy was very good in the Yaris Ativ. Over a 200-kilometer trip, it returned around 15 km/L in the city and around 18 km/L on the expressway.

Pliant low-speed ride

The Yaris Ativ uses the DNGA-B platform Toyota co-developed with renowned Japanese small car maker Daihatsu.

In the Philippines, this platform is currently used in the Avanza and the Veloz. This resulted in the Avanza’s shift from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive. 

The Yaris Ativ rode smoothly up to 120 km/h, with very minimal vibration coming into the cabin. The suspension seemed to be tuned better than the current-generation Vios. However, the car had a noticeable wobble at higher speeds.

Our take

While the Thai-market Yaris Ativ sports the 3NR-VE 1.2-liter Dual VVT-iE mill, it does so to comply with Thailand Eco Car regulations and qualify for pricing and tax incentives. This is also why the Mitsubishi Mirage also has a 1.2-liter engine.

In the Philippines, the current Toyota Vios already has the 1NR-FE 1.3-liter motor with 99 PS and 123 Nm of torque. On paper, higher power output can be a distinct marketing advantage and it seems unlikely that Toyota will cede this to Mitsubishi.

The fact that the left-hand-drive Laos market still has the same 1.3-liter engine with CVT and manual transmission options for its all-new Vios makes it highly probable that we will still see a carryover of this engine instead of the 1.2-liter for our market.

It also rationalizes manufacturing since the all-new Vios will most likely still be built in Toyota Motor Philippines' Santa Rosa plant in compliance with the brand's commitment to the Philippine government's Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy program.

The engine is listed as a major component that qualifies the brand for Fixed Investment Support.

Overall, the Yaris Ativ builds on the strong points of the current Vios. A full drive of the Philippine version, which will be launched soon as a 2023 model, will tell more.

What do you think of the Yaris Ativ? Is it a worthy successor to the venerable Vios?