It’s the same platform that currently underpins the Daihatsu Rocky and Xenia
The current generation Toyota Vios, which has been on the market for 9 years, is set to be replaced by an all-new model that could be launched in Thailand sometime in the third quarter of this year. Thai automotive publication Headlightmag claimed that the next-generation Vios will be based on the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA).
Set to be given the D92A codename, the sedan could adopt some of the styling cues from the Daihatsu DN F-Sedan concept which was presented at the 2017 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show. If the report is to be believed, the new Vios (or Yaris Ativ as it is known in Thailand) will be one hell of a looker even without the suicide doors and tiny mirrors.
With the use of the DNGA platform to underpin the upcoming Vios, Headlightmag said Toyota could deploy the Toyota Hybrid System II (THS II) powertrain to rival the Honda City e:HEV. The powertrain consists of a 1.5-litre DOHC four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor but there’s no mention of output.
The publication went on to say that the Vios could also be offered with a 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine, not a downsized turbocharged engine as previously rumoured. Details regarding transmission is also unknown at this point but it is highly likely that it will continue using a CVT.
For the sake of comparison, the City e:HEV is powered by a 1.5-litre engine and a two-motor setup, with the former making 98 PS and 127 Nm and the latter 108 PS and 253 Nm. There’s also a pure petrol version featuring a 1.5-litre four-cylinder DOHC VTEC engine with 121 PS and 145 Nm.
What do you think of this news? Will we see a Daihatsu-based Vios in the next few months or could this report turn out to be untrue?
