Instead of racing for features or constantly upgrading the design to the point of “chaos”; Toyota has decided to add two leading safety features to the Vios 2023, within the Toyota Safety Sense package. This is an aspect that is still being overlooked by other B-segment sedans.
Leading senior position
Talking about the Vios, it has the leading senior position because according to statistical data, this B-segment sedan is the best-selling car in Vietnam for 8 years in the period from 2014 to 2022, except for 2021 due to the heavy impact of the Covid pandemic.
To maintain this position, the Vios has strong internal capabilities, with qualities that truly stand out compared to its competitors in the same segment. Excellence here does not mean the most youthful and eye-catching design, the most modern equipment, or the best driving experience… The excellence of the Vios lies in its ability to meet the majority’s needs; it can satisfy users of all ages, genders, professions…
And to ensure this, the Vios always appears to be very neutral: a harmonious and elegant design that is still modern; the driving performance may not be the sharpest, but it is always smooth, comfortable, and especially durable over time; the features do not compete in the “excessive” style, but they are always complete and useful.
In other words, the Vios is not a boastful product. Instead, it is a truly practical car, providing the core values that users need in a B-segment sedan. That is also why the Vios, despite facing formidable competitors and the strong market dynamics over the past decade, can continuously strengthen and maintain its best-selling position in Vietnam.
Leading safety features in the segment
Japanese cars, especially Toyota, have always accompanied quality and durability. Remember in August 2020, Toyota unexpectedly brought the Corolla Cross high-riding car to the country with the advanced driving support technology package – the first time bringing modern safety features to the popular car segment priced under 1 billion VND.
And now, the modern driving support features are once again boldly applied to the Vios, leading the B-segment sedan segment – with a price range of 500 – 600 million VND.
Specifically, the upgraded version of the Toyota Vios 2023 has been equipped with a hidden radar behind the front logo and a camera on the windshield to be able to detect obstacles, thereby helping to warn of collision in advance (with brake assist) and lane departure warning.
Although compared to its counterparts such as the Corolla Altis or the Camry, the Vios still lacks a 360-degree camera, lane-keeping assist, or blind-spot warning; in my personal opinion, if it only stops at the level of driver assistance, then the above-mentioned two safety features are the most useful and frequently used.
And such features alone are already enough for the Vios 2023 to be considered a safer car than its competitors in the same segment. Not to mention that LED headlights have become a standard feature on the Vios 2023, regardless of the high-end or low-end version; while its competitors are still struggling with halogen headlights.
More modern design adjustments
In tandem with the leading safety features in the segment, the Toyota Vios 2023 has also been refined by Japanese engineers to become more modern and youthful. While the body and tail sections remain mostly unchanged, the changes are focused on the front of the car.
The lighting system design has been trimmed and sharpened, with impressive lines and intricate shapes. The new appearance of the Vios 2023 makes users easily reminiscent of the CH-R – a small crossover model from Toyota in the US market – or the domestic Corolla sibling in Japan.
Together with the new “eyes”, the grille of the Toyota Vios 2023 has also been brought down to a lower position and widened to both sides, accompanied by an impressive glossy black tone. Compared to previous facelift upgrades, the Vios 2023 has a truly innovative, fresh, and youthful appearance.
The wheel set has also been updated with a new design. The alloy wheels still have a size of 15 inches but have switched to a contrasting two-tone honeycomb shape, with an attractive and modern 6-spoke lightning design.
Increasingly convenient and modern interior
The most noticeable change when entering the cabin of the Toyota Vios 2023 is that the entire area of the driver’s seat, door armrests, center armrest, and even the steering wheel are replaced with synthetic PU material.
The user experience shows that in terms of appearance, the synthetic leather provides a modern and attractive appearance with a level of gloss and youthful color when combined with contrasting yellow stitching. In particular, the headrest and back of the seat are quite intricate and eye-catching. In terms of comfort, this seat set also provides a comfortable seating experience, a moderate level of sinking, and a fairly pleasant elasticity.
In the upgraded version, the Toyota Vios 2023 also owns a 9-inch touchscreen entertainment system, placed in the middle of the dashboard. It is accompanied by full Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connections.
The car still uses an analog-type meter, but the screen has been upgraded to a color display to show the operating status of the lane departure warning and collision warning features.
Especially behind the steering wheel, the driver is also equipped with quick-shift paddles. Although the car only uses a CVT gearbox with virtual gear positions; this feature also promises to improve the driving feel on slopes or when overtaking at high speeds.
In the back, passengers have also been provided with two additional Type-C USB charging ports. Although there is still no rear air vents; however, the car’s air conditioning cools very quickly and deeply. This has never been a weak point of Toyota in general and the Vios in particular.
Durable and stable operating capability
Under the hood, the Toyota Vios 2023 is still equipped with the VTTi engine with a 4-cylinder configuration for a power of 107 horsepower and a torque of 140 Nm. As mentioned above, the strength of the Vios does not lie in impressive acceleration capability.
The attraction of the B-segment sedan comes from its extremely reliable and rarely faulty operating capability, rarely causing the owner to be in a state of having to “lie on the road” waiting for roadside assistance, even after decades of driving with an ODO of up to 6 digits.
Furthermore, the Vios has also gone through many challenges and proven itself capable of conquering any road in Vietnam, whether it is going up the mountains or down to the beach.
The strength of the car is its extremely flexible, smooth, and comfortable operation in urban areas. Not to mention the popularity of the Toyota Vios – the best-selling car in Vietnam for nearly a decade – which makes it very easy to repair and maintain the car.
In addition, it is easy to find auxiliary parts for replacement or upgrading, and their prices are easily accessible. Moreover, the large number of cars on the streets also makes it easy for the Toyota Vios to have very good liquidity. This is a very important factor that not every car can guarantee for users.
Quick summary, the Toyota Vios 2023 is an “appetizing” upgrade with an unchanged price, even reduced compared to before, but supplemented with leading safety features and a more eye-catching appearance.
This will surely still be the king in the B-segment sedan segment and a strong candidate for the best-selling car position of the year. Because the Vios does not need to be flashy, powerful, or shrewd; the Vios just needs to be itself – a sedan that satisfies the majority of domestic consumers – something that the experienced “old fox” Toyota brand has maintained very well.
And this has been concretized by the sales figures in June 2023 – just one month after its launch, the Toyota Vios 2023 easily defeated its competitors, reclaiming the “best-selling king” with a sales record of 1,949 units. At the same time, the Toyota Vios also entered the top 5 best-selling cars in the Vietnamese market in the first half of 2023 along with its sibling Corolla Cross.
Anh Phan (Tuoitrethudo)
Photos: Huy Bách
