NEW TOYOTA VIOS TRD SPORTIVO TEST DRIVE REVIEW & SPECIFICATION

What is the difference of the full spec Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo? Toyota Malaysia has bring the TRD suspension, new interior finishing, new sport rim design and TRD bodykit skirting and spoiler.

It is actually a Toyota vios S with all the addition of TRD kit. We have the opportunity to test drive one of the Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo at Batu Caves with Mr Fadzli. Let me elaborate briefly about my first impression on the Vios TRD sportivo. Basically, when you enter the cabin interior, you will feel that it is a spacious car especially when you are on the driver’s seat. The front windscreen is big and you can see the scenery well out of the cabin. But i feel a bit weird sitting at the drivers seat because the dashboard height level is too low. Maybe because i am not used to it. The seat is comfortable with black and red TRD fabric (unfortunately no leather seat for the TRD full spec vios) touch up and TRD seat design. The interior have some part of it wrapped with carbon fiber look a like finishing that gives the sporty looks from the inside of the Toyota Vios Sportivo.

The center panel is simple and smart. There is no issue of the speedometer or main meter panel located at the center of the dashboard because it is easier for you to look at it while driving compare to meter panel at the back of your steering. The gated automatic gear shifter also an exclusive feature of the toyota Vios. The leather steering wheel feels very nice to hold. This Toyota Vios TRD sportivo complete with dual airbag at the front.

At the back, you will feel that it is a bit small because the design of Toyota vios is it will getting smaller from middle of the car to the rear following the aerodynamic design of the car. I have measured the overall dimension of the interior of Toyota Vios and here is the result of dimension of interior of the Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo which is actually same as other Toyota Vios variant (compare to Proton Saga Baru):

Width at the front that can be occupied is 134 cm from shoulder to shoulder (Saga = 134cm)
Width at the rear passenger seat that can be occupied is 130cm from shoulder to shoulder (Saga = 134cm)
Widest width that can be measure interiorly is 140cm (Saga = 137cm)
Legroom space from front to rear seat is +-201cm (Saga = +-202cm)
Headroom space from bottom to the roof interiorly is 120cm (Saga = 123cm)

Boot space:
width left to right = 155cm (Saga = 141cm)
width front to rear = 97cm (Saga = 96cm)
height = 51cm (Saga = 52cm)

The advantage of toyota vios compare to other car is the center foot space have no obstacles. Meaning that is has flat surface floor from left to right and no bump at the middle which then gives more space to rear passenger’s leg.

The exterior bodykit of Toyota Vios TRD sportivo complete with front, side, rear skirting and spoiler. The new silver grey 15″ sport rim design with tyre size 185/60/15.

Test drive along the highway near Batu caves is fun with the Toyota Vios TRD due to the engine response and sharp handling. Every time you push the fuel paddle, you will feel the power of 1.5 litre VVTi engine that produce 109 PS at 6000RPM and 141Nm at low RPM 4200 pull you to the front and I would say the engine performance is good and really fit with the toyota Vios which has the kerb weight of only 1050kg.

During the test drive, I remember of driving a Proton Wira Special Edition. It feels the same due to the tuned sport suspension and light feeling while driving. The difference is proton Wira SE is stiffer at sharp corner which means better handling but sacrificing a lot of suspension comfortness compare to the Toyota Vios.

You will feel the very light power steering that turn the vios easily at very sharp minimum turning radius of 4.9m only. Driving a Toyota vios, you will feel like driving a light car with less weight and has no problem with the engine performance. The engine response is quick and you will be confident to overtake any car.

The TRD tune suspension is another amazing thing on the Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo. It enable the car to take sharp corner at high speed easily without too much body roll and retain the comfortness of the suspension system to the highest level. Meaning that the good handling characteristic is increased without sacrificing the comfort of the passenger while passing an uneven road surfaces.

The gear transition is smoother with ECT (Electronic Controlled Transmission) especially when you push the fuel paddle more, the auto gearbox will drop down the gear smoothly without any jerking and you can easily accelerate faster.

Ventilated front disc brake and solid rear disk brake works like super. When you push the brake paddle just a bit, the braking system response immediately and you can feel it grabs the brake disk effectively to put you to shorter stop point. Fitted with the ABS and EBD, it will ensure that your tyres will not skidding and ensure safety of you and your passengers at all time.

For those who wants a performance sedan, light city car, and stable cruising for long journey car, this is the car that you may looking for. The on the road price of Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo is RM90,900 with RM2523.50 insurance for the first year. For any question or to have a test drive and feel it yourself, you can contact Mr Fadzli from Toyota Branch at Batu Caves , Pavillion Auto Sdn Bhd anytime at his contact number 012-6893602

For those who have the experience as the owner of Toyota Vios especially TRD sportivo, please share your opinion here..