What is the Toyota Ativ?
News broke last month when the all-new Toyota Vios Hybrid (Yaris Ativ in other countries) premiered in Thailand.
It’s welcome news particularly for fans and loyal customers of the Toyota Vios here in the country.
We’re not only saying that the vehicle has finally joined the bandwagon. We’re saying wouldn’t it be exciting that the country’s bestselling vehicle, which has made a big name for itself particularly in the local motorsport scene, now that it has an electrified badge stamped on it.
As you all know, the famed subcompact sedan sold about 43,600 units locally in 2024 and, for the longest time, remains to be the number one vehicle here. Of the more than 215,700 Toyota units purchased by Filipinos then, the Vios is on top of the pedestal.
With this, how would one electrified Toyota Vios look like on Philippine roads?
First, everyone sure is wondering what goes on under its hood. Well, the Vios HEV is powered by the same engine found in the Yaris Cross HEV. The 1.5-liter 2NR-VEX 4-cylinder engine churns out a combined output of 111 horsepower—91 horsepower and 121 N-m from the combustion engine and 80 horsepower and 141 N-m from the electric motor. This is mated to an E-CVT, with electrical power is supplied by a lithium-ion battery pack for optimal performance.
According to sources, this electrified vehicle can squeeze up to 29.4 km/L based on the UN R101 fuel testing standards.
In Thailand, the vehicle comes in two variants, the HEV Premium and HEV GR Sport.
On the outside, it does look like the same usual Vios were all used to. The HEV Premium model features sleek curves and lines highlighted by a dark chrome upper grille and and newly designed 16-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, the cabin is fully equipped with convenient functions, including a 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a wireless charger, and an automatic climate control with rear air vents and PM2.5 filter.
On the other hand, the HEV GR Sport model, features a sporty and sleeker vibe. These are underscored by a dynamic aesthetic with a newly-designed front grille featuring the GR logo and a full GR-S body kit. This consists of a front bumper skirt, side skirt set, rear bumper skirt and rear spoiler, not to mention newly- designed 17-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, its sporty characteristics spill over. Particularly, its interior sports black synthetic leather seats with the GR logo and a six-speaker Pioneer sound system.
The thrill in driving experience is all the more enhanced with a specially tuned suspension and an electric power steering.
Safety-wise, Toyota Safety Sense features come standard, upping the level of comfort and security with lane keeping control, in top of the six SRS airbags, electronic stability control, blind spot monitors with rear cross traffic alert, a 360-degree camera and dash cam, among others.
In Thailand, the vehicle is priced at 729,000 baht (P 1,277,000) for the HEV Premium and 779,000 baht (P 1,364,000) for the HEV GR Sport. And back there, they’re confident of selling 20,000 units of the hybrid Vios models in its first year with confirmed exports to more than 23 countries around the world.
Locally, according to insiders, dealers have already been informed about the hybrid vehicle and are just wary about its high price point, compared to other contenders, particularly most of the Chinese brands.
The Toyota Vios Hybrid might be locally called the “Ativ” come its local public launch this October 2025, similar to what Toyota Motor Philippines did to the Innova’s hybrid version, Zenix.
Well, don’t laugh when we say that in a positive way, we should all get ready to catch Ativ.
