Third-Gen Toyota Vios Still On Sale In Select Markets, Gets A Facelift Too

New fourth-gen (AC100) 2023MY Toyota Vios.

Whilst the new fourth generation (AC100) Toyota Vios B-segment sedan has launched and thrived in key ASEAN markets such as ours, some markets aren’t as fortunate. Case in point is this recently face-lifted third-gen (XP50) Toyota Vios that just launched in Vietnam earlier this week.

Refreshed 2023MY XP50-based Toyota Vios in Vietnam.

Essentially, this Vietnam-spec Vios has gotten the recently face-lifted Thai-spec 2023MY Yaris hatchback’s front fascia grafted on. The nip-tuck sees an angrier-looking face a la hammerhead shark featuring a more aggressive front bumper accompanied by notched headlamps and both functional and faux air intakes.

Apart from updated reflectors, the rear end of this Vios launched for Vietnam this week was left pretty much unchanged from before, featuring the distinct taillight design that we’re all pretty familiar with. In case you were wondering, this is, by far, the third refresh Toyota performed on this XP50-gen Vios model.

The Vietnam-spec 2023MY XP50-based Toyota Vios sees a major update on board in terms of a larger new 9-inch infotainment screen. The rest remains unchanged.

On board, the biggest change can be seen in the dashboard’s centre stack design that now accommodates a larger 9-inch infotainment display unit primed in the higher-end variants – up by 2-inches over the older model’s unit. And before you ask, yes, it also offers both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

Other changes on board include the addition of USB-C charging ports, whilst the inclusion of the Toyota Safety Sense active driver assists (ADAS) functions remain reserved for higher-end variants on sale in perhaps one of the few left-hand-drive (LHD) markets present in the region.

Apart from the front fascia, the rest of the this 2023MY XP50 Vios for Vietnam remains relatively unchanged.

Also unchanged are the mechanical bits, whereby this Vietnam-spec Vios still soldiers on with a familiar 1.5-litre Dual VVTi 4-cyl petrol heart delivering 106 HP and 140 NM to the front wheels. Vietnamese buyers do also get the choice between an e-CVT automatic box or a 5-speed manual.

The introduction of this refreshed XP50-gen Vios in Vietnam earlier this week likely suggests that other LHD markets in ASEAN, which includes neighbouring Philippines, might see this version offered instead of the brand-new, DNGA-based AC100-gen replacement model as what we’ve received here in Malaysia.

Despite the recent drama revolving ‘rigged’ crash-testing, perhaps we should be thankful that Toyota opted to grant markets like ours with an all-new generation replacement. Prior to which, the XP50-gen Vios stood on sale locally for nearly a decade, albeit with two major refreshes, since it debuted in 2013.

By the way, if you happen to be keen on acquiring a used XP50-gen Vios for yourself, over 800 of which are listed for sale by our dealer-partners right now. You can check them out by clicking these blue words...

Examples of the third-gen (XP50) Toyota Vios currently listed by our dealer partners.