Look around the streets and you’ll most likely see a Toyota Vios as it is one of the best-selling cars here in the Philippines. That’s why the launch of the fourth-generation model in Thailand is big news even on our shores.

More than being an economic sedan, the new Vios aims to be a stylish and practical car for the youth that they’d be proud to own as seen with the elegant and sporty fastback design.

You can see styling cues taken from its larger siblings (the Corolla Altis and the Camry) throughout the bodywork, alongside new 16-inch alloy wheels and LED lighting all around.

The interior has also been revamped to look and feel luxurious with soft-touch materials, 64-color ambient lighting, an option for quilted red leather seats, and even a PM2.5 air filtration system. A nine-inch infotainment display is now present with smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while the instrument cluster is now a seven-inch screen.

In keeping with the lifestyle of the youth, the cabin has four cupholders for coffee tumblers, four USB ports at the front, rear and center consoles to charge gadgets, and also a large, LED-illuminated mirror in the sun visor to help women do their makeup.

Under the hood is a 1.2-liter in-line-four producing 94hp and 110Nm delivered via a CVT. The car is now Euro 5-compliant and has three driving modes (Eco, Normal and Sport) with a rated fuel efficiency of 23.3km/L. Electronic power steering makes turning easier, while stopping power is provided by four disc brakes.

The most significant upgrade, however, is the inclusion of Toyota Safety Sense with automatic high beams, lane-departure alert, pedal misoperation control, front departure alert, and adaptive cruise control.

The car also has driving assists such as a 360° camera, traction control, vehicle stability control, electronic brake-force distribution, and hill-start assist. For security, the Vios now has a dash camera as well as anti-theft features. Also, six airbags are located around the cabin.

With the new-generation Toyota Vios launching in Thailand first, we can expect that it will arrive here in the Philippines soon.