Here goes the all-new 2022 Toyota Vios on its worldwide adventure, and this week it landed in the hot scapes of Saudi Arabia (sold there as the Yaris); replacing its long-overdue predecessor and to refresh the fight against the Honda City and Nissan Almera.
Though safety and creature comfort kits differ among the three variants (Y, Y Plus, YX), but what unifies the variants are the shared 1.3-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine (1NR-VE, same as in our Perodua Myvi 1.3) – good for 97 PS and 122 Nm of torque – paired to a CVT-type automatic transmission.
This differs from the Thailand-market model – known as the Yaris Ativ – which is powered by a 1.2-litre 3NR-VE mill that complies with the country's strict EcoCar regulations.
As far as basic kit count goes, the Kingdom's Yaris starts off on the right foot. LED headlights, a rear view camera, rear air-cond vents, keyless entry, and a 7-inch Android Auto/Apple CarPlay-compatible infotainment headunit is extended to even the base Y variant.
Going up the specs ladder up to Y Plus variant, there's 16-inch alloy wheels, the Ativa/Alza-esque 7-inch digital speedometer, and digital air-cond controls. The biggest addition to this variant are active safety features, adding Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Pre-Collision System (PCS), and Lane Departure Alert (LDA).
Image source: Mechanic1553
The cream of the crop, the YX variant, builds on the Y Plus by adding power-folding side mirrors, LED-combination tail lights, and bumps up the infotainment side of things with a 9-inch screen paired to a 6-speaker setup.
There's still fabric seats (but High Grade here), automatic climate control, and a leather steering wheel.
Telescopic steering – the main feature we'd love to see here in its Malaysian iteration – is limited to this range-topper, and so are other things like a push-start button, 6 airbags, and two USB chargers for those sitting at the back. Active safety remains.
Saudi Arabia is one of the many markets the all-new Vios will enter, having made its debut in Thailand early last month. As far as a Malaysian launch in concerned, sometime in 2023 is a safe bet – we are still yet to receive the Toyota Veloz, which is currently keeping UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) busy.
With humble beginnings collecting diecast models and spending hours virtually tuning dream cars on the computer, his love of cars has delightfully transformed into a career. Sanjay enjoys how the same passion for cars transcends boundaries and brings people together.
