The Philippines may still have the previous-generation Toyota Vios, but it certainly remains popular after topping the 2022 sales charts.

Nonetheless, many of our ASEAN neighbors already have the all-new, fourth-generation Vios that was first launched in Thailand on August 2022.

Indonesia, meanwhile, got the new Vios on October 2022, where our friends from our sister publication WapCar reported that a hybrid version may also be included in the line-up.

“Toyota bukan sahaja akan menawarkan Toyota Vios berkuasa petrol [Toyota will not only offer petrol-powered Toyota Vios],” said PT Toyota Astra Motor marketing director Anton Jimmy Suwandi. 

“Kami sedang menjalankan kajian dan meminta pengedar prinsipal kami memperkenalkan lebih banyak model hibrid ke Indonesia termasuk Vios Hybrid,” he added.

[Translation: We are conducting a study and asking our principal distributor to introduce more hybrid models to Indonesia including the Vios Hybrid.]

Toyota Motor Asia Pacific chief executive officer Hao Tien also confirmed this direction for ASEAN markets in a December 2022 interview.

"From the business perspective, we do have plans for hybrid A/B segment,” Tien told WapCar at the sidelines of the Idemitsu Super 1500 Endurance race in Thailand. 

In the ASEAN market, the Toyota Wigo and the Toyota Raize fall in the A-segment, while the recently introduced, next-generation Vios is in the B-segment.

Daihatsu hybrid powertrain?

Although Toyota has not yet released any final specifications for the Vios Hybrid, it may likely use the system in the Daihatsu Rocky (known locally as the Toyota Raize).

The fourth-generation D92A Vios shares the same Daihatsu New Global Architecture platform as the Rocky, which features an e:Smart Hybrid powertrain. The system runs similarly to the Nissan Kicks e-Power setup.

The Rocky Hybrid uses a 1.2-liter, twin-cam, 12-valve inline-3 gasoline engine mated to an electric generator. It produces a combined 106 PS and 170 Nm of torque, which are coursed through a continuously variable transmission.

Malaysian fuel-economy tests of the Rocky’s sibling, the Perodua Ativa Hybrid, returned up to 31.3 km/l.

Meanwhile, Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) sells hybrid versions of the Corolla Altis, Corolla Cross, RAV4 and Camry, as of press time. The next-generation Toyota Innova is also available with a hybrid drivetrain.

Do you think TMP should bring in a hybrid version of its best-selling subcompact sedan?