Toyota Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo Review

I was at the Toyota Vios launch event back in 2013 when they launched their 3rd gen look in Malaysia, and I must say it wow'ed a lot of folks with its looks. (All New Toyota Vios Launched In Malaysia). It was rather cool then that last week I was given the latest Toyota Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo to experience and review here in this space of mine on the web. Toyota Vios has always been a rather popular car in Malaysia, being an essential part of youth pop culture in Malaysia, with looks that will turn heads.

Toyota Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo Review

It was a fine bright sunny day when I collected the very cool looking white Toyota Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo at the Toyota centre and after a few shots at the venue, off I went on my merry way to test drive my ride. I must say, the Toyota Vios Sportivo looks really cool visually with its TRD Sportivo Aerokit, a blast into the future.

Collection from the Toyota Centre in Shah Alam

And the first thing I did was to pack my stuff over into the Toyota Vios Sportivo boot

Almost immediately after the keys were handed over to me, I packed over the Schneider Electric switches that I had been carrying around in my car into the boot of the Toyota Vios Sportivo. It wasn't exactly to test the space of the boot, but coincidentally I had a meeting with my contractor for the new house, and had to pass these switches to him. The Vios Sportivo passed with flying colours, fitting the two huge chunky boxes and have ample free space at the side. A check with the specifications, and I found out they have a large 506 litre trunk capacity!

We're all set to drive ! 

The Toyota Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo variant has that sporty feel about it, with front bumper spoiler, daytime running lights, TRD sportivo scuff plate, TRD sportivo carpet mat and a very sporty meter panel and Multi-information Display (MID) being some of its unique features. This sets it apart from the other Toyota Vios variants, all of which I will be explaining about further along this post.

A shot of the back, complete with TRD Sportivo bodykit and spoiler

There's no mistaking the Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo with its red emblem 

The very unique rear design of the Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo is designed for a very cool modern look with a wide and dynamic stance. I especially loved the tail lamps, as the distinctive shape flares out to emphasise the corners of the rear edge. It's interesting to note too that this sporty variant comes with rear fog lamps for that improved safety aspect with increased visibility in all types of conditions.

Check out its front grille design

TRD 15 inch sports rim

All that improvements, so little time to talk about it. The assertive grille design of the Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo sets it apart from the previous generations of Vios, with chrome accents to create a sharp looking distinctive impression. One look at the wheels, and you got to appreciate the cool looking rims. It would have been so much better in 16 inches, but 15 inch would suffice.

Power retractable wing mirror with turn indicator

The ride comes with power retractable wing mirrors that retracts during parking at a touch of a button. Having a turn indicator built into the wing mirrors helped lots especially with us being in Malaysia with lots of motorcyclist. Someone has to warn them that we are turning!

Voila! Daytime running lights straight from the Toyota factory

Being a car enthusiast myself, I've joined numerous car and automotive clubs to understand the need for Daytime running lights. Not only does it provide improved visibility to others in all conditions, it has that cool factor. Gone are the days where we had to get it fitted with aftermarket DRL, as here the Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo is fitted with bright DRLs straight from the factory. The ride comes with stylish projector headlamps with manual levelling function too.

The interior dashboard shot of the Toyota Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo

TRD Sportivo red stitching

Black and red perforated combination leather seats

I must say, I do love anything that comes in a combination of red and black colours. The interior of the Toyota Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo is really sporty looking and tastefully done up. Black and red perforated combination leather seats combines comfort with sports appeal. With the red Sportivo word being emblazoned across the seats, you would be hard pressed not to sense the difference when sitting inside the car.

Red front foot illumination light

If you notice, there's even a front foot illumination light, which is more noticeable at night. Gone are the days where you will need to do this aftermarket modification, as it comes as a default accessory when you purchase the Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo! It's definately useful to enhance the interior ambience for a sporty driving experience. 

Leather wrapped goodness!

Even the steering wheel is leather wrapped with red stitching, exuding a touch of class to an otherwise sporty interior. The 3-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel comes with red stitching and has audio switches and tilt function. A plus point here for comfort as the steering wheel is the one thing that we come into contact every single day when we drive.

A view of the back seats, with rear centre armrest

Spacious seats at the back, with a flat rear floor

Dark interior colours for the inside of the doors

How often than not have you experience feeling uncomfortable when there is a middle section protruding when you are seated at the back seat? No more uncomfortable feeling here, as the Toyota Vios comes with a flat rear floor, promising more rear floor space for more legroom and ease of storage. The rear centre armrest also helps to give that luxurious feeling when seated in the back seat. 

The stylish meter panel

A closeup showing the Multi Information Display (MID)

I may not be a big fan of overly colourful meter panels, but the stylish meter panel and multi-information display (MID) of the Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo took the car to a whole new level. Three ring meter features the MID with odometer and tripmeter reading along with cruising range, average fuel consumption, instantaneous fuel consumption and average driving speed. 

Air conditioning controls

Window auto control

I'm a big geek when it comes to knobs, buttons and those little things that controls the car electronically. Three horizontally aligned dials makes up the air conditioning controls providing excellent operability. Everything is in its place, which makes for rather good ergonomics, providing no problems at all for me to settle in a drive the car around. 

Light up my life

For the vain ones

Ample lighting and even a mirror for you to check your looks is available in the cabin area of the Toyota Vios Sportivo. The interior trim as well as moulded stitching accents does make it look classier than it is. 

Airbags come as a pre-requisite 

With ABS (Anti lock braking system), EBD (Electronic brake force distribution), brake assist, and dual SRS airbag on top of many more safety features, it's reassuring to know of all these features. The high tensile steel body also enhances rigidity, reduces weight and provides stability. This makes long drives a more pleasurable experience as I can attest to during my test drive. 

Keyless entry and start stop engine

A feature which I feel should be present in every car out there would be the Smart Entry and push start system. I have it in my current ride, and it's nice to know the Toyota Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo has it as well. Simply lock and unlock the door without taking the key out of your pocket. Start the engine and unlatch the spacious trunk with a touch of a button, how convenient is that? 

DVN-AVN system with reverse camera 

Six speakers surrounding the car interior

To accompany my comfortable ride in the Toyota Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo, I have their DVD-AVN (Audio Video Navigation) system with reverse camera and six speakers inside the interior. This make for pretty cool music listening, helped by the spacious interior. 

Driving in style and comfort

The perforated combination leather seat combined with pretty good, soft and sturdy suspension of the Toyota Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo does wonders to make my ride a comfortable one. Space is adequate and more than enough for a B segment vehicle. In fact, I sometimes feel it is larger than what is on paper. With the 60:40 split folding seats, the space increased many times over when needed. 

A beauty - the Toyota Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo 

Overall, it was a fun test drive with the Toyota Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo, one which gave new light to my perception of this car. The space inside isn't what I thought it to be, as explained throughout this post, every feature and aspect of the interior gives more space for the driver and his passengers. It's no wonder that the Toyota Vios remains one of the more popular models in the market today, cementing its position as an essential part of youth pop culture in Malaysia. More information can be found on their official website at www.toyota.com.my.