The Toyota Vitz is a fantastic budget vehicle.
After the Urban Cruiser/Vitara Brezza, Starlet/Baleno, and Rumion/Ertiga, Toyota and Suzuki have collaborated once again on the Toyota Vitz. The Suzuki Celerio served as a major inspiration for the Vitz. The Toyota Vitz is offered in three distinct trim levels, all of which share the same engine but provide different transmission options (one standard, one with XR manual, and one with XR automatic). For the benefit of the buyer, it will be offered with the choice of a 5-speed manual or an automated manual gearbox (AMT). There are seven color options to choose from. Whether or not it will find its way to Zimbabwe is unclear to me, since its inflated pricing may make local sales impractical.

Design

In my opinion, the Toyota Vitz is one of the most visually beautiful budget vehicles on the market today. The car has a modern look because of its teardrop-shaped headlights and taillights. The Vitz's slim profile is the consequence of careful design. The Vitz's proportions are dead on; it lacks the excessive rooflines and other features of certain tiny automobiles while maintaining a sensible overall profile.

A single strip of chrome runs from the car's headlights across the grille and down to the Toyota symbol on the bumper's center. A thick stroke line and rounded contour highlight the wheel wells. In addition to the standard 18-inch aluminum wheels, the XR adds gunmetal gray alloy wheels (15 inches in diameter) and body-color door handles and side mirrors. The park distance control sensors are tastefully hidden beneath the rear reflectors to maintain the sleek look throughout the vehicle. The Vitz is a well-designed device.

Interior

Even though the Vitz has a smaller glass area than other vehicles, visibility is not impaired. Your head, shoulders, and legs will have plenty of room to move around within. There are plenty of storage spaces and cup holders inside. The author finds the inside layout to be well thought out, with the infotainment system, front window controls, and door locks all conveniently located on the center stack. The textured hard plastic used throughout the cabin is of high quality and is the norm for vehicles in this price range. With a volume of 295 liters, the cargo compartment makes efficient use of its space thanks to the car's wide loading door and level floor. The rear seats fold down for extra storage space (the ratio is 60:40).

Comfort

Display Audio's touchscreen infotainment system with four speakers is standard in the Vitz XR. The sound quality is fine, but an amplifier might help boost the volume without sacrificing clarity. Your vehicle's settings and diagnostic data may be accessed via the infotainment system, and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now compatible with it.

For instance, the Vitz's door lock and window controls are placed in an awkward spot. The switches for the front doors and windows may be found just below the radio. The rear window switches are located behind the handbrake. These controls are often placed near the driver's door or gear shifter, where the driver's hands will naturally rest. The door panels would house the controls for the back passengers. Positioning the controls where a driver's hands would be more comfortable would have improved ergonomics. There is enough space for passengers in the Vitz, but the absence of a height-adjustable driver's seat and a tilt function in the steering wheel are deal breakers. The remainder of Vitz is rather pleasant to look at as well.

Performance

A 1.0-liter, three-cylinder gas engine that produces 49 kW and 89 Nm powers the Toyota Vitz. The Vitz weighs just 820 kilograms, so this may not seem like much. Considering that the average weight of a B-segment hatchback is about 1100 kilos, you can see that there isn't much mass being moved. Power may be sent to the front wheels through either a 5-speed manual or an AMT (Automatic Manual Transmission). Although the Vitz is at its best when pushed to its limits, it is also perfectly capable of handling the low- to mid-range speeds required for urban driving. The Vitz's handling, though, is a serious flaw. The Vitz is known as a quick city vehicle, yet it really feels quite open and disconnected. The setup may be tightened up and the steering wheel's feedback enhanced with some fine-tuning and refining so that the driver has a better idea of what the front wheels are doing. The car's mild clutch makes it easy to park in congested areas. There is a lot of play in the gear shifter, so tightening it up so that it clicks into place might improve it.
The Vitz's stop-start technology and frugal engine make it very fuel-efficient. If the system is triggered when the driver is coasting to a stop, it may be enhanced by waiting at least a second for the vehicle to stop entirely before activating the system. Putting aside that little criticism, it is strange to see a function often associated with luxury vehicles make its way down to something so commonplace.

Gas Mileage

The Toyota Vitz can supposedly go up to 727 kilometers on a single tank of gasoline, and it gets 4.4 l/100km in fuel efficiency. The 5.5 l/100 km I averaged is not good enough.

Safety

These safety features are standard on every Toyota Vitz:

A rear window demister, ISOFIX child seat anchors, a center lap belt, airbags for the driver and front passenger, traction and stability control, hill start assist, and a reversing camera are just a few of the features you may expect to see in a modern vehicle.

Price

Importing a Toyota Vitz from South Africa to Zimbabwe would cost around $20,000. A Zimbo would rather spend that money on a grey import version of the highest-end Mercedes-Benz available. If you exclude import duties and sales tax, the price drops by half. The government should act and lower these excessive levies. Zimbabwe's tariffs and levies are very high for a country with no significant automobile manufacturing.

The Hyundai Grand i10 faces off against the Suzuki Celerio, Renault Kwid, Kia Picanto, and Renault Kwid, among others.

Specifications

Cylinders: 3 cyl.
Drivetrain: Two-Wheel Drive
Engine detail: 1.0
Fuel Consumption: 4.4 l/100km
Fuel range (average): 727 km
Performance: Top Speed: 160 km/h
Power maximum (detail): 49 kW
Tank Volume: 32 l petrol
Torque maximum: 89 Nm
Transmission: Manual, 5-speed

Our Judgment

The Toyota Vitz offers an attractive value proposition at a time when the public needs affordable and efficient transportation solutions. The Toyota Vitz excels in that regard and offers first-time customers many additional benefits. The potential here is enormous, and with little polishing, it might become a priceless gem.

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