Toyota PH just came out with another budget-friendly Vios variant

MOST will agree that the Toyota Vios is something of a cultural icon at this point. Its front end is one of the most common sights you’ll encounter out on the road, and for good reason—it’s reliable, affordable, and practical.

The Vios has also been the subject of many customizations and modifications, thanks to its tried-and-tested design. Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) has that kind of buyer covered. Enter the Toyota Vios XLE.

The Vios XLE is Toyota’s way of letting its customers really own their Vios purchase, giving them ample equipment as well as room for personalization and customization. TMP Vice President Cristina Arevalo says, “This variant is introduced to give our customers the freedom of choice on how they want to purchase and modify their car.”

Situated above the base, J, and XE trims; and below the E, G, and G Prime variants, the XLE is slotted squarely in the middle of the Vios lineup. Standard equipment includes driver, passenger, and knee airbags, 15-inch alloy wheels, four-beam halogen headlamps, a seven-inch infotainment display equipped with WebLink, and Vehicle Stability Control with Hill Start Assist for all weather and road steepness conditions.

Other neat features include power door locks, and power sideview mirrors, which are commonly seen on “premium” trim options. The XLE shares the same 1.3-liter engine as the lower half of the Vios range, producing 98hp and 123Nm of torque.

Looking at the standard equipment list, you'll see that the XLE is essentially a “best of” compilation of Vios specs, all delivered to the customer at a modest price point. This way, they can get the features they like from higherspec Vios variants without shelling out more cash for other features they don’t particularly fancy. It's the Vios that lets you get more of what you need, and less of what you don’t.

The value of the XLE has been dubbed “The XLE Advantage," and this advantage starts with payment. Buyers are presented with two payment options:

Option A includes a P35,000 cash discount plus an accessory option package worth P40,000. The accessory package is a mix-and-match affair, in which you can take your pick among add-on safety and convenience options including a reverse camera, dash cam, reverse sensor and even select Toyota Racing Development (TRD) bits with 17-inch wheels.

Option B is a zero downpayment financing scheme, which, like the option above, includes fiveyear extended warranty and free preventive maintenance service (PMS) of up to 20,00km.

Of course, buyers get a choice of transmission too, with both manual and CVT powertrains available. The manual is priced at P791,000, while the CVT will cost you P841,000. Topgear.com.ph