How do you add excitement to the bestselling sedan in the country? If you’re Toyota, then it’s easy and straightforward enough. Just open the treasure chest that contains goodies from its Gazoo Racing brand, slap in on to said sedan, and christen it as the new Vios GR-S.
Think of the Vios GR-S as a sporty reinvention of Toyota’s locally made subcompact sedan, with a more aggressive design and useful new features. TMP President Atsuhiro Okamoto introduced the Vios GR-S as “the country’s most trusted model, injected with GR spirit.”
“There are over 340,000 Vios owners out there who use these reliable, tried and tested vehicles in their daily lives. Our goal with the Vios GR-S is to transform your reliable everyday car, to a Vios that gives a more pleasurable drive, whether on track or on the road… the Vios GR-S will bring next level Thrill in your everyday drive,” Okamoto added.
GR-S, which stands for Gazoo Racing Sport, is a guarantee that a car was developed guided by Toyota Gazoo Racing, which specializes in developing Toyota’s lineup of products built with racing DNA.
Through the introduction of the Vios GR-S—the first GR-S model in its lineup—TMP intends to make sportier options available for racing fans and motorsports enthusiasts who want to express this passion through their daily drivers.
The new Vios GR-S distinguishes itself from regular Vios models with its GR emblem on the trunklid; black side mirrors, door handles, and 16-inch alloy wheels; a sporty front bumper and grille; a chin spoiler, side skirts, a rear bumper apron, and a rear spoiler. Driver and passenger experience is also made to feel race-ready with the leather with red stitching on the wheel, shift lever and knob material, and suede/synthetic leather with red stitching on the seats.
There is no manual gearbox, though; instead it gets a CVT with a whopping 10 preset speeds, which at least offer driver involvement via paddle shifters. Seven airbags and clearance sonars are standard, as well as Apple Carplay and Android Auto compatibility. It comes in the very sporty colors of Super Red, Black, and White Pearl Crystal Shine (the latter with a P15,000 premium).
The new Vios GR-S will be available in all TMP dealerships nationwide starting March 15. An online public launch will also be held on March 13 (Saturday), 6PM on Toyota’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel.
| VARIANT1,035,000VARIANT | SRP | AVAILABLE COLORS |
| 1.5 GR-S | 1,035,000 | White Pearl Crystal Shine |
| 1.5 GR-S | 1,020,000 | Super Red VBlack 1 |
Updates on the rest of the Vios line: New features and prices (Base/J/XE/XLE/E higher, G lower)
Following the introduction of the Vios GR-S, Vios models (from the XE variant and higher) now come with Apple Carplay and Android Auto compatibility and accessible Bluetooth switches on the steering wheel. G, XLE, and E variants also get a redesign on the seat patterns, while the XE variant gets additional 2 speakers, and XLE and E grades get the new alloy wheel design. Price changes will be applicable on the Vios lineup with significant price decrease on the G grade:
| VARIANT | As of March 2, 2021 | As of Feb 3, 2021 | DIFFERENCE |
| 1.5 G CVT (White Pearl) | 985,000 | 1,071,000 | -86,000 |
| 1.5 G M/T (White Pearl) | 926,000 | 1,012,000 | -86,000 |
| 1.5 G CVT | 970,000 | 1,056,000 | -86,000 |
| 1.5 G M/T | 911,000 | 997,000 | -86,000 |
| 1.3 E CVT | 901,000 | 891,000 | 10,000 |
| 1.3 E M/T | 851,000 | 841,000 | 10,000 |
| 1.3 XLE CVT | 851,000 | 841,000 | 10,000 |
| 1.3 XLE M/T | 801,000 | 791,000 | 10,000 |
| 1.3 XE CVT (7 airbag) | 808,000 | 753,000 | 55,000 |
| 1.3 XE CVT (3 airbag) | 753,000 | 747,000 | 6,000 |
| 1.3 J M/T (7 airbag) | 717,000 | 707,000 | 10,000 |
| 1.3 J M/T (3 airbag) | 707,000 | 697,000 | 10,000 |
| 1.3 Base MT (7 airbag) | 691,000 | 681,000 | 10,000 |
| 1.3 Base MT (3 airbag) | 681,000 | 671,000 | 10,000 |
But wait, there’s more! Promising to bring more thrills to Filipino racing fans, TMP will be to offering a more expanded line of Toyota Gazoo Racing products, services and experiences in the country. Toyota’s premier one-make-race, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Cup, is set to bring back Vios racers to the racetrack by July, provided it is deemed safe by authorities to hold racing events. TMP will also again be letting skilled e-racers battle in the virtual track as it launches the second season of the GR GT Cup.
With Toyota’s extensive history in motorsports and inspired by the passion of its people and leaders like Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda himself, TMP aspires to make motorsports bigger and more widely known in the country.
For more information on the New Vios GR-S, visit TMP’s official website at www.toyota.com.ph and follow the official social media pages at ToyotaMotorPhilippines and ToyotaGazooRacingPH (Facebook and Instagram), @ToyotaMotorPH (Twitter), and Toyota PH (Viber and Telegram).
