[ĐÁNH GIÁ XE] Toyota Vios 2023: Outstanding safety in the segment

Instead of racing for features or constantly upgrading the design to the point of “chaos”; Toyota decided to add two segment-leading advanced safety features to the Vios 2023, included in the Toyota Safety Sense package. This is an aspect that is still left open by B-class sedan competitors.

Leading position of seniority

It is said that Toyota Vios has a “seniority” leading position because according to statistical data, this B-class sedan is the owner of the best-selling car position in Vietnam for 8 years from 2014 to 2022, except for 2021 due to the heavy impact of the Covid pandemic.

To maintain this position, Toyota Vios has a strong interior, with qualities that are truly superior to competitors in the same segment. Superiority here does not mean the most eye-catching youthful design, the most modern equipment or the best driving feeling… The superiority of Toyota Vios lies in the fact that it can meet the needs of the majority; can satisfy users regardless of age, gender, occupation…

And to ensure this, Vios always appears very neutral: the design is harmonious, elegant and sophisticated but still modern enough; Operational ability may not be the sharpest, but it is certainly always smooth, quiet and especially durable over time; Features do not compete in an “abundant” way – yes or no, but always complete and useful.

In other words, Toyota Vios is not a show-off product. Instead, it is a truly useful car model, providing exactly the core values that users need in a B-class sedan. That is also the reason why Toyota Vios has been able to continuously consolidate and maintain its best-selling position in Vietnam in the face of formidable competitors and the fluctuations and strong changes of the market over the past nearly ten years.

Segment-leading safety features

Japanese cars – especially Toyota – have always gone hand in hand with quality and durability. Remember in August 2020, Toyota suddenly brought home the Corolla Cross high-clearance car model with the advanced Toyota Safety Sense driver assistance technology package – the first time bringing modern safety features to the popular car segment priced under 1 billion VND.

And now, modern driving assistance features have once again been boldly brought to Vios by Toyota, a pioneer in the B-class sedan segment – price range of 500 – 600 million VND.

Specifically, the upgraded version of the Toyota Vios 2023 has been equipped with a radar hidden behind the car’s front logo and a camera on the windshield to identify obstacles, thereby helping to warn of forward collisions (with brake support) and lane departure warnings.

Although compared to seniors like Corolla Altis, or Camry; Vios still lacks a 360 camera, lane keeping assist or blind spot warning; But in my personal opinion, if it only stops at the driver assistance level, the two safety features mentioned above are the most useful and frequently used.

And those features are more than enough for Vios 2023 to be considered a safer car than competitors in the same segment. Not to mention that LED lights also become a standard equipment on Vios 2023, regardless of high-end or low-end versions; while competitors are still struggling with halogen lights.

Refine the design to be more modern

Along with segment-leading safety features, the Toyota Vios 2023 has also had its appearance refined by Japanese engineers to become more modern and youthful. While the body and rear of the car remain almost the same, the changes are concentrated in the front area.

The lighting design has been cut slimmer and sharper, with impressive lines and sophisticated shapes. The new appearance of Vios 2023 makes users easily think of CH-R – a small crossover model from Toyota in the US market – or its domestic Corolla in its native Japan.

Along with the new “eyes”, the grille cluster of the Toyota Vios 2023 has also been moved to a lower position and extended to the sides, with an impressive glossy black tone. Compared to previous facelift upgrades, Vios 2023 has a truly innovative, novel and youthful appearance.

The vehicle’s legs have also been updated with a new design. The wheels still have a size of 15 inches but have changed to a contrasting two-color milling, with a 6-spoke lightning-bolt structure that is quite eye-catching and modern.

The interior is increasingly comfortable and modern

The most noticeable change when entering the cabin of the Toyota Vios 2023 is that the entire area of the driver’s seat, door panel, center armrest, as well as the steering wheel has been replaced with synthetic PU material.

Usage experience shows that in terms of appearance, synthetic leather provides a modern and beautiful appearance with a level of shine and youthful color when combined with yellow embossed stitching. In particular, the headrest and upper back of the chair are divided into blocks that are quite sophisticated and eye-catching. In terms of feel, this seat set also provides a smooth experience, moderate subsidence level and quite pleasant elasticity.

On the new upgraded version, Toyota Vios 2023 also has a 9-inch entertainment center screen, located in the center of the dashboard. Comes with full Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connections.

The car still uses a mechanical speedometer, but has been upgraded to a color information screen to display the operating status of the lane departure warning and collision warning features.

Especially behind the steering wheel, the driver is also equipped with a quick gear shift lever. Although the car only uses a CVT gearbox with virtual gear settings; But this equipment also promises to improve the driving experience in steep mountain passes or when needing to overtake vehicles at high speeds.

At the back, passengers have also been added with two USB Type-C standard charging ports. Although there is still no rear air vent; However, the car’s air conditioner cools very quickly and deeply. This has never been a weakness of Toyota in general and Vios in particular.

Durable and stable operation ability

Under the hood, Toyota Vios 2023 is still equipped with a VTTi engine block with a 4-cylinder in-line configuration for 107 horsepower and 140 Nm of torque. As mentioned above in the article, Vios’s strength does not lie in its impressive acceleration.

The appeal of the B-class sedan comes from its ability to operate with extremely few errors and rarely cause the owner to fall into a state of having to “lie on the street” waiting for a rescue truck, even after spending decades with an ODO of up to 6 digits.

Furthermore, Toyota Vios has also gone through many challenges and proven itself to be fully capable of conquering any road in Vietnam, whether to the forest or to the sea.

The car’s strength is its ability to operate extremely flexibly, gently and smoothly in urban areas. Not to mention the popularity of Toyota Vios – the best-selling car model in Vietnam for nearly ten years – leading to car repair and maintenance being very easy and convenient.

Besides, the ability to find spare parts to replace or upgrade is also very popular and the price is easily accessible. Moreover, the large number of cars rolling on the streets also helps Toyota Vios to easily liquidate “sell and there will be buyers”. This is a very important factor that not all car models can guarantee for users.

Quick summaryToyota Vios 2023 is a very “affordable” upgrade with an unchanged price, even reduced compared to before but with the addition of segment-leading safety features, along with a new, more eye-catching appearance.

This will definitely still be the king in the B-class sedan segment and a strong candidate for the best-selling car model of the year. Because Vios doesn’t need to be flashy, strong or sharp; Vios just needs to be itself – a sedan that pleases the majority of domestic consumers – something that the experienced “old fox” brand Toyota still maintains very well.

And this has been concretized by sales in June 2023 – just one month after launch, Toyota Vios 2023 easily defeated rivals, regaining the “best-selling throne” with a record of 1,949 cars sold. At the same time, Toyota Vios also reached the top 5 best-selling cars in the Vietnamese market in the first half of 2023 along with its elder brother Corolla Cross.

Mr. Phan (Tuoitrethudo)

Image: Huy Bach