FIRST LOOKS

While there is much excitement among Toyota fans that another two models – the Yaris and the Wish - are now being officially sold by UMW Toyota Motor, a less noted fact which many may not realise is that these

Malaysians could not benefit from this AFTA concept until this year when the government finally lowered import duties for ASEAN-sourced models to the 5% level, thus making it viable for companies to start bringing in their vehicles from Indonesia and Thailand. It’s not the first time this has happened as Ford and Honda have been importing some of their models from other ASEAN countries over the past few years but at non-preferential duties. This is, however, the first time that Toyota is doing it and you can be sure that before long, the region’s No. 1 carmaker will rationalise its product line-up and start to make specific models in each country for exchange among the countries. This will also lead to increased variety over time, something which consumers always want.

In producing the Yaris and the Wish in ASEAN, Toyota seems to realise that consumers here are fast growing in affluence and expectations. While the IMV models (Fortuner, Innova and Hilux) as well as the Vios were specially developed to cater to the needs of developing markets, it’s clear that ASEAN consumers are moving further ‘upmarket’ and desire products of a more global nature.

The Yaris is indeed a global product as it is sold in Europe, Japan and the USA. It’s a major model for Toyota and was the third best-selling worldwide in terms of total volume in 2005, after the Corolla and Camry. The Vios is actually a distant relation to the Yaris which was the first Toyota model developed with the New Basic Concept (NBC) in the late 1990s. NBC was a milestone in Toyota product development as it represented a quantum leap in not just quality but also the engineering approach; in fact, it was so significant that the factory in Japan making the model (known as the Vitz) had to undergo substantial upgrading of manufacturing techniques. While the Yaris was designed by Toyota’s European studio to cater to European tastes, the Vios was an Asian version which took a different engineering approach but also used NBC as a basis.

So rather than develop a Vios hatchback as a variant for ASEAN, Toyota has decided that it would probably make more sense to introduce the Yaris which has a more cosmopolitan image and should appeal to the younger generation of buyers. There is actually a Yaris sedan but obviously it would be pointless to sell it when there is already the Vios.

As for the Wish, this is a fairly new MPV (unlike the Yaris which was launched in 1999 in Europe and is now in its second generation) which underwent a facelift not so long ago. The Wish shares the platform with the Corolla and was developed to take on the Honda Stream. It’s sold mostly in Asia and it sells very well too, especially in Japan where it has been among the top ten models for some time.

In Malaysia, the Wish is not exactly an unknown model since private importers have been selling them for the past few years. Though it may seem that UMW Toyota Motor would have a challenge trying to sell the Wish at ‘official prices’, they are not so worried not about price differences because there is now an ‘official pricelist’ compiled by the Customs which specifies the values of imported models for calculation of tax purposes. Therefore, private importers will no longer be able to declare a different value from UMWT.

“We don’t think it will be a problem any longer with the gazetted prices and we believe that many people will see that buying from us will give more peace of mind as we offer a full factory warranty of 3 years or 100,000 kms, and after-sales support to customers. That is something which the private importers cannot match,” said David Chen, Managing Director of UMW Toyota Motor, adding that the company aims to sell 200 units of the Wish a month, double that of the Yaris.

Prices for both models are, as to be expected, not as cheap as many would like them to be but certainly cheaper than if they were taxed at non-AFTA duty levels. For the Yaris, there are two versions (both with automatic transmission only) – 1.5S and 1.5G – with the sportier aerokit 1.5S retailing for RM98.800 and the 1.5G for RM92,800, inclusive of insurance. The Wish only comes in one version with a 2.0-litre engine and automatic transmission, and retails for RM156,900 with insurance.

TOYOTA YARIS
First launched in Europe in 1999, the Yaris was named the 2000 European "Car of the Year" and has become Toyota's best-selling model in the European market. The Yaris was also named "Japan Car of the Year," marking the first time a Toyota model captured both honors in the same year and on both sides of the world.

The Yaris was styled at Toyota's European design studio in collaboration with Toyota’s Design Division in Japan. It retains the ‘DNA’ of its successful predecessor with ‘class-up’ styling and brings a new level of refinement, sophistication, and fun-to-drive experience to this segment.

The 5-door body features a strong, modern monoform shape made possible by its short overhangs and a low centre of gravity. The front grille is flanked by eye-catching headlights which have a frosted inner lens and are neatly integrated into the aerodynamic bonnet and windscreen. Foglamps are fitted as standard, providing supplementary illumination in poor weather conditions.

Powering the Yaris is the proven 1NZ-FE 4-cylinder engine which has a 1.5-litre displacement. The main feature of this compact engine is VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence), a system which was developed by Toyota to increase output (80 kW/142 Nm), improve fuel economy and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons in the exhaust gases. Continuous variation in the valve timing according to driving conditions and needs allows the torque band to be broader, enhancing driving flexibility.

An electronically-controlled 4-speed automatic transmission (Super ECT) is standard for the Yaris. This transmission, claimed to be highly efficient, has adaptive programming and improved driveability on hilly roads with a reduced number of gear changes. For greater convenience, the shifter is gated with specific locations for each position that allow for intuitive selection. In fact, it is said to be so convenient that an overdrive button is not necessary.

The front McPherson strut suspension of the Yaris features optimised geometry to provide the best possible balance between stability and ride comfort. Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) analysis allowed Toyota engineers to further optimise the balance between component stiffness and lower weight. Higher roll stiffness and better ride comfort have been achieved by connecting the stabiliser bar directly to the strut by a ball-joint. The shock absorbers have a large diameter and include a new type of valve, which provides better damping. The direction of the spring reaction force has been optimised so as to create a more positive steering feel.

1.5-litre engine for Yaris has VVT-i

Rear suspension of the Yaris

Centre-mounted instrument panel has Optitron meters

The first generation of the Yaris

For the rear suspension, Toyota engineers have introduced a brand new inverted-V design for the torsion beam in this second generation. This includes a stabiliser function that eliminates the need for a dedicated stabiliser bar, which in turn further reduces weight and increases stiffness. Modifying the structure of the body mount bush and axle-bearing fixation has enhanced stability, even during body roll, while intrusion of the boot space has been minimised by placing the telescopic absorbers further outwards.

The cabin of the new Yaris is filled with elements that are said to provide an ‘emotional appearance’ but also have a rational and functional purpose in mind. The design team conceived the ‘loop concept’ for the interior design and this approach provides an additional feel of spaciousness by having the side panels on the door and ceiling visually merging to form a continuous loop.

Like the Vios, the dashboard has an uncluttered design with the instrument panel mounted in the centre rather than directly ahead of the driver. Optitron meters (amber illumination for the Yaris 1.5S and white for the Yaris 1.5G) are fitted which are brighter and clearer than conventional meters.

The centre console provides symmetry to the dashboard design and has a flush panel (silver for the Yaris 1.5G) which incorporates an integrated Toyota audio system with CD, MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) capability. There are 6 speakers in the Yaris 1.5S and 4 in the Yaris 1.5G.

Being a hatchback, the Yaris offers lots of flexibility in layout and the boot area can be increased substantially by folding down the rear backrests which are divided in a 60:40 ratio. When folded, the backrests lie completely flat. In addition, the backrests can be folded without removing the headrests. They can also be folded down with the front seats at the rearmost position as there is 880 mm between front and rear seats. The cargo volume in the boot is certainly generous for a hatchback this size: with the backrests up, there’s 363 litres and with both backrests folded, the volume increases to as much as 737 litres.

The rear seats are almost as versatile as those in front and there’s 150 mm of fore-aft movement to position the seats closer or further from the front seats and the backrests can also be reclined up to 10 degrees for extra comfort. The usual exhaust tunnel intrusion has been suppressed in the rear floor, making for a flatter configuration. This has been achieved by re-routing the exhaust pipe, thus allowing a new design for the floor plan.

There’s a wealth of storage space around the front half of the cabin with 18.2 litres in total on the dashboard alone. Storage areas can also be found under the seat, ahead of the steering wheel, and by the doors and of course, cupholders are also present.

For the Yaris 1.5S, the steering wheel and gearshift knob are wrapped in leather and the driver’s seat is also height-adjustable so that people of varying heights will be comfortably seated and together with the adjustable steering column,

The Yaris brings higher safety standards to this class with standard ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA). On the Yaris 1.5S, rear disc brakes are also standard.

Like all the latest Toyota models, the Yaris meets GOA (Global Outstanding Assessment) which is Toyota’s tough in-house set of crash safety standards. GOA standards are comparable to the standards set by many countries and in some cases, even exceed them. One of the most important for today’s traffic conditions is the set of new internal standards which the Yaris is the first model to meet. These standards concern car-to-car compatibility. According to several statistics, a great amount of fatalities are caused by impacts against heavier vehicles. After analysing several accident situations of this type, Toyota has developed its own internal standards and tests to ensure its small cars like the Yaris offer good protection to occupants when there is a collision with a larger car.

The crash tests conducted include a frontal impact against 2-ton vehicle (50% overlap with both vehicles driving at the same speed), side impact from a 2-ton vehicle, and rear impact from a 2-ton vehicle, with a 50% overlap. Toyota’s previous car-to-car compatibility standards stipulated a crash speed of 50 km/h but now the company has adopted more stringent criteria by increasing this speed to 55 km/h on all car-to-car crash tests, which represents a 20% increase in impact energy.

In the event that an accident cannot be avoided, the front occupants are restrained by seatbelts and SRS airbags while those in the rear are also provided with seatbelts. Energy-absorbing materials in the pillars and columns of the cabin reduce head injuries during a severe collision.

The Yaris is also the first Toyota equipped with the second-generation Whiplash Injury Lessening (WIL) concept seats. The performance of these seats has been improved through simulations conducted with Toyota’s virtual crash test dummy - THUMS (Total Human Model for Safety) - a highly-detailed reproduction of the human body, including bone structure, skin, joints and ligaments. Adopting a new seat-back structure and headrest design is an important development over the first generation Yaris (already recognised by Germany’s ADAC auto club as the best whiplash protection system in the segment). In the event of a rear impact, the head movement can be restrained at a much earlier stage by approaching the headrest from the passenger’s head.

TOYOTA WISH
The Wish was first launched in Asia in 2003 as a medium-size urban sporty MPV and since last year, it has been made in Toyota’s factory in Thailand for distribution around ASEAN.

The Wish being introduced is the 2006 model with some new styling elements that present a sporty, aggressive and modern image. Among the new elements are a deeper front bumper and large air scoop, bonnet moulding which is smoke-plated and also a new smoke-plated rear garnish with an embossed WISH logo.

To enhance the sportiness of the Wish, an original Toyota aerokit is installed on all units and comprises an integrated spoiler for the front and rear bumpers, side skirtings, side claddings, over-fenders and a rear roof spoiler.

Both the front and rear lighting units of the Wish are distinctive. Those in front employ projector headlamps for the low beams which provide strong illumination for excellent visibility over a longer distance ahead at night. At the rear, the combination lamps and high-mounted brake light use LEDs (light emitting diodes) which are brighter and light up faster than conventional bulbs, besides lasting longer.

The spacious cabin of the Wish has dark/black interior trim for a sporty feel and even the dashboard has trim with the carbonfibre design on it. The gearshift lever is positioned on an extension from the middle of the dashboard and has a gate-type operation which is more convenient.

Also distinctive in the cabin is the Optitron meter package for the instrument panel. Optitron meters were first used in Lexus models and are brighter and clearer than conventional meters. In the Wish, the speedometer and tachometer have a red outline each with digital displays for the fuel level and tripmeters. Also present is a Multi Information Display (MID) which provides the driver with useful information during the journey such as fuel consumption and average speed.

As a MPV, the Wish must be able to accommodate lots of cargo as well as people. It has various cabin configurations to allow more luggage or more people – up to seven adults – to be carried, or even two sports bicycles (with front wheels removed) or a surfboard. The first, second and third row of seats can be folded flat to suit requirements, providing a long flat space for cargo.

For entertainment on the move, there is a 2DIN audio system with AM/FM, MP3, WMA and a single CD capability. Six speakers are positioned in specific positions for optimum sound quality.

Other convenience features include a bright LED illuminator over the front of the dashboard, seat hooks for groceries, an auto-light system which can switch on the headlights when the conditions are dim, and a parking sensor for reversing confidently. In tight parking spaces, the door mirrors can be folded at the touch of a button and there’s also a foot-operated parking brake system that saves space.

The Wish uses an all-aluminium 4-cylinder 2.0-litre DOHC 16-valve engine (1AZ-FE) which is a proven powerplant. It has VVT-I and produces a respectable150 ps of power at 6000 rpm and 192 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm. Power delivery to the front wheels is through a 4-speed electronic automatic transmission with sequential shift capability, allowing the driver to also select manual shifting when desired. In manual mode, the shifting is done in a sequential manner, ie the driver just pushes the shift lever up or down to change gears. To confirm the gear position, a digital display appears on the instrument panel.

A robust all-round independent suspension system is provided and consists of MacPherson struts in front and double wishbones at the rear. Both front and rear suspension layouts and settings take into consideration the heavy loads that may be carried on board and are tuned for stability and ride comfort.

The Wish is GOA-certified, meaning it passes Toyota’s tough in-house safety standards. It has ABS and all the other safety devices to help the driver avoid accidents and two front airbags to reduce injuries if accidents do happen. Additionally, it also has Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) which automatically adjusts the power at each wheel to prevent skidding or wheelspin so that the car will corner in the safest and most stable way. Integrated with the VSC system is a traction control system which can prevent wheelspin and enable smooth and positive delivery of power to the road. It does this by either reducing engine power to the wheels or applying the brakes, depending on the conditions.