So far, there aren’t any hybrid subcompact sedans in the country from the legacy automakers. Yes, there’s the Honda City e:HEV, but it’s not sold locally, at least for now. Nissan doesn’t have an answer to that either, and the Suzuki Dzire is a mild hybrid.
But what all that is going on, Toyota might be up to something. Reports from Thailand have hinted that the Vios might be electrified soon. By that, we mean it might get a hybrid powertrain.
We’ll be more specific and say it’s the all-new Toyota Vios that might get it soon. You know, the one that still isn’t available here, but we digress. With that, reports from Thai automotive publication Autolifethailand have claimed that it might be revealed as early as August 2025. Not too long a wait if true, then.
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Truth be told, we’re not entirely surprised if the report is accurate. Remember, the redesigned Vios is based on the Daihatsu DNGA platform, an architecture that was designed to accommodate a hybrid system from the start. One prime example is the Toyota Raize with electrified versions available in Japan and select markets.
Let’s not forget that the DNGA chassis also underpins the Toyota Yaris Cross. At the same time, it was reported earlier that the Avanza and Veloz might even get a hybrid option eventually.
But back to the Vios, what could the hybrid version be like? There are two possible powertrain arrangements to choose from. The first is a 1.2-liter hybrid unit that has a combined output of 105hp and 170Nm, as seen in the Raize HEV. The other could come straight from the Yaris Cross HEV, meaning a electrified 1.5-liter mated to a single motor producing a total of 110hp with the motor along churning out 141Nm. Either way, these arrangements were designed specifically for the DNGA platform.
The fourth-generation (or fifth-gen if you could the heavy facelift in 2018) Toyota Vios was introduced in August 2022 as the Yaris Ativ in Thailand. It has since been available in most of Southeast Asia, as well as the Middle East and Latin America. That said, various local sources have claimed that the 2025 will finally be the year we see the redesigned Vios, and could be launched here by the tail end of the year.
