UMW Toyota Releases New ‘Defy’ Teaser – New Vios Hinted?

Whilst last week’s launch of five new GR performance and GR Sport models still remains fresh in our minds, UMW Toyota Motor hasn't been sitting idle since. In fact, the firm officially released a new set of teasers online and via its official social media pages earlier today, perhaps hinting at a new model.

There isn’t much to gauge from the one-word (‘Defy’) teaser, but our best guess is that the firm is preparing to introduce the new generation Vios B-segment compact sedan soon. In fact, we’ve already gotten an early glimpse of the model as the Yaris Ativ when it debuted in Thailand last year.

So, what can we expect from the new Vios then? In short, plenty. For starters, it will underpin the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA) platform which, as you already know, has spawned plenty of winners – Perodua’s new Axia, Alza, and Ativa, as well as the Toyota Veloz here in Malaysia.

Along with its new bones comes new styling, and we reckon the Yaris Ativ’s sporty new fastback-esque lines, has already attracted plenty of admirers. Pretty looks aside, the DNGA base also promises a more tech-laden and very safe car too.

We’ll start on the safety front and, as we saw in Perodua’s own DNGA-based trio, we can expect high levels of semi-autonomous driving aids such – adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assists (LDW & LKAS), blind-spot info and warning (BSM), as well as forward-collision warning and autonomous emergency braking (FCW & AEB) at the very least.

On the tech front, we can expect more up-market kit such as a touchscreen infotainment unit, keyless entry and ignition, digital meter displays, and perhaps added conveniences such as 360-degree parking camera and more. Indeed, all of these should see the new Vios stack up well against key rivals, namely the fifth-gen Honda City and the latest-gen Nissan Almera.

What remains a hot topic for debate is the range of powertrains Toyota might offer for the new Vios here in Malaysia. We’re certain the traditional setup of a 1.5-litre 4-cyl petrol mill plus CVT transmission will remain as a mainstay, though we won’t discount the possibility of the firm introducing a brand new hybrid petrol-electric option into the range too.

Certainly, we will know more once UMW Toyota releases more details which, according to this latest ‘Defy’ teaser, is promised later this week on Feb 24. We’ll have more by then, so stay tuned for updates.