The Toyota Vios was introduced in 2003 specifically for the Southeast Asian, Chinese and Taiwanese automotive markets and competes directly with cars such as the Honda City and Hyundai Sonata.The Vios was originally a replacement for the Toyota Soluna and is a 4-door mini sedan. . With a short front end, the car has a 1.5-liter power plant. in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, although the Vios is also offered in a smaller 1.3-liter variant in the Philippines and Singapore.

The first model of the Toyota Vios based on the old Toyota Platz platform but with a completely new body to create a unique and modern look, with design cues taken from the Toyota Corolla E120. The 2006 Vios model featured some cosmetic changes including the front grille and bumpers, headlights and taillights, as well as sport wheels and skirts. A special turbocharged version of the first generation Vios was launched specifically for the Thailand market with a 1.5 liter turbocharged engine with an intercooler, this special model produced considerably more power than the standard Vios and was imported through the gray markets and Second hand in other countries for those interested in a Toyota-backed upgraded version of the everyday Toyota Vios Since its introduction, the Vios has proven to be a best-seller in a wide segment of the market, culminating in its selection as the best-selling car in 2009 for the Southeast Asia region.

The new Toyota Vios that was introduced in 2007 is essentially a rebranded Toyota Belta produced specifically for Toyota Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Thailand. The new Vios is assembled at two Toyota production plants, one in Thailand and one in the Philippines. Today’s Vios is specially designed to maximize comfort, safety, and handling with many improvements to the car’s interior features. The latest Toyota Vios features a longer 2550mm wheelbase, the total weight has increased slightly to 1045kg, the power plant remains the reliable 1NZ-FE engine from the previous model. Interestingly, the added weight means the old Vios is a bit faster than the new Vios, which can add to the value of older aftermarket cars. Inside the new car, the dash follows an identical pattern to the Toyota Yaris, which may put off those who don’t like its mid-mounted position, the storage space is much larger than the original, and the dash panels the bodywork has been changed to make the new Vios more visually modern and aerodynamic.

The great success of the Toyota Vios in terms of sales success has made it economically possible to manufacture the Toyota Vios locally instead of the CKD kits and assemble them at Toyota Malaysia. The newer Toyota cars made in Malaysia will contain a minimum of 60% local parts and will sell for a lower price than CKD cars. The unofficial production volume of the local Toyota VIOS is estimated at 1500-2000 cars per month, depending on market demand.