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by: Christopher Kho
The second generation Toyota Vios has been with us for a little over 3 years now. Ever since its advent in 2007, this subcompact sedan has been one of the best-selling cars in the Philippine market, selling over 11 thousand units in 2009 alone. Not that it’s losing popularity, but every now and then, Toyota has been adding special versions to the existing line of Vios’ to spice up the brand. They began with the release of the Vios Limited Edition back in 2008 with the Vios S shortly after in 2009. Now in late 2009, Toyota has introduced yet another addition to the Vios family, the Vios TRD Sportivo.
Toyota’s in-house tuning division, Toyota Racing Development (TRD), has designed several new add-ons to enhance both the Vios’ looks and performance. Starting with the aesthetics, the TRD aero parts(P93,500) revamp the Vios’ once-globular face into a more athletic profile. It gives the Vios an edge, but its structure still keeps true to its original lines. The front chin, rear and side skirts, plus the ducktail are all made from high-grade polyurethane rubber, strong enough to holdup to minor bumps and scrapes collected over years of use and abuse.
The stock suspension of the Vios was adequately comfortable for public roads, but it was nowhere near suited for the high demands of track use. Thankfully, TRD has also included their own brand of suspension system, upgrading the shock absorbers and springs (P49,500). The Vios no longer leaned hard into corners like it used to. Instead, it held on to corners like glue and hardly exhibited any body roll. Consequently, braking performance also improved now that the stiffer suspension prevents the Vios from nose-diving during heavy braking. They’ve also lowered the car’s stance by as much as 10mm, improving the center of gravity. Despite being stiffer than the stock, the ride quality with the TRD suspension was still pleasant and actually feels sturdier. With the new suspension combo, the Vios is now made ready for a track attack. To seal in the deal, TRD also offers a complete set of15-inch wheels (P51,500). Though,some aficionados might find 16-inch wheels would suit the overall style better.
Toyota was kind enough to lend us their very own Vios TRD Sportivo for several days. Driving the Vios around with its TRD body kit andsuspension did bring out the boy racer in me. It made me feel macho and confident, as I could throw the car around a bit more knowing that it can take corners more aggressively. But at the end of the day, even with all of TRD’s goods plus a badge on the grill and the trunk, it was still a 1.5 G A/T deep inside, and that’s where the Vios could use a bit of excitement. Let’s just hope that Toyota has something on their drawing boards to add flare to the cabin as well and put a tad more horsepower to the engine.
Unlike the other Vios models, the TRD Sportivo we test-drove is a one-off example loaded with all the new visual and performance upgrades TRD offers. This means you can’t just walk into your local dealership and buy one off the showroom floor. You could, however, buy the parts individually over the counter from Toyota.
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