The UMW Group through its subsidiary UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd has a very long history in the automotive industry dating way back to 1917 when it commenced business as United Motor Works. The Group is a diverse home-grown one with interest in the automotive, engineering, manufacturing, oil & gas and equipment industries. In fact, recently, it went through a re-branding exercise with a new corporate logo and a progressive tag line. UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) undertakes the assembly, marketing and distribution of the Toyota brand and the marketing and distribution of Lexus marque. It was the leader of the non-national segment of the automotive industry last year and has this position for quite a number of years. With the passage of years, the Toyota brand has been synonymous to UMWT and they have built a solid base with wide market acceptance.

 

The Toyota Vios was developed in the mid-1990s as another global product and in Malaysia, it was first introduced in 2003, The second generation has since then remained very much of an entry level compact sedan for the brand with the famous Britney Spears being used as part of marketing communication. This current Vios is the third generation and is firmly aimed at keeping this model a leader in its segment. Its main highlight is the longer wheelbase in a compact sedan to make it stand apart from the other models in the segment.

There are 90 Toyota showrooms and 52 service centres in Malaysia making this network on eof the most established in the industry. This has in many ways made the Toyota brand one of the most preferred brands for the fleet industry and the reason is obvious. With an outlet at literally your doorstep, making the purchase decision is obvious bearing in mind the essential after sales services.

This Vios although packaged as a new model, carries over much of the good attributes of the earlier Vios with much improvement in the form of a sturdier looking exterior. The overall profile is one of the key area change introduced to improve the aerodynamics. Many may not consider it as a fleet vehicle but far from it, with the market place under going down grading process due to the fuel price, this model will fit young executives, middle management and those who have the preference for a compact sedan. To add-on to this, the cost of operating and maintaining this car will also be more reasonable compared to other bigger capacity models.

In line with the longer wheelbase, the cabin space available has been increased by 120mm and this offers better legroom for the rear passengers. The usual hum in the rear cabin has been eliminated by the clever routing of exhaust pipe to make the cabin even more comfortable. For 1.5S variant, a noteable feature of the interior is the centre mounted instrument panel that spots the 2-dial Optitron meters with an amber-coloured effect that is softer for the eyes. In addition, there is an MID or Multi-information Display that relays the information such as the odometer, average and real-time fuel consumption, two trip meter and average vehicle speed. For the entertainment, an integrated system with tuner, CD, MP3 and WMA is available and it is supported by 6 speakers.

The engine that powers this Vios is an in-line 4-cylinder 16-valve DOCH with VVT-i that is rated to deliver peak power of 109PS at 6000 rpm and the peak torque of 141 Nm at 4200 rpm. It is mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission with Super ECT (Electronic Controlled Transmission) and Gate Shifter that provides sporty shifting of the gears for a better drive. This Gear shifter feature ensured that the gear ratios are optimally operated for optimum performance. Our run around with it was enjoyable to the extent of not being overly biased at all. We noted that the normal 110km/h is reached at a commendable 2600 rpm, 150km/h and 160km/h at 4100 rpm. The chassis felt nibble and its ride & handling will please everyone.

In terms of active and passive safety, Toyota is well known for the GOA body structure that disperses impact to the body frame so that injury and cabin reformation is minimised as the body uses high-tensile steel that is lightweight. There are the two SRS airbags and the front seats have the WIL or Whiplash Injury Lessening feature. The other essentials like the EBD, ABS and BA or Brake Assist is also in place. For the front occupants, the seatbelts have pretensioners and Force Limiter feature. The steering wheel is collapsible to prevent injury to the driver in the event of a strong impact. Included also is a security system that consists of the engine immobilizer, cabin sensor and siren with a back-up battery.

The warranty offered is 100,000 km or 3 years whichever comes first.

For more information on fleet offers, please visit the nearest Toyota showroom.

On-the-road price with insurance for company private registration for the Vios 1.5G is RM 85,410.38.

 

Price is valid as per 14 May 2008.