Why I would Pay the Premium for a Vios GR-S Without Any Hesitation

I have driven both the Toyota Vios G and the latest Toyota Vios GR-S on the exact test route, which is our very familiar Genting Hill Climb. The Vios G that I actually drove was the pre-face lift, or the 2020 model, while the Vios GR-S I drove is the latest 2021 model, but for the record, the Vios G of the previous generation is mechanically the same as the current generation Vios- G. The respective videos can be found on our YouTube Channel, YS Khong Driving.

If you would care to watch these two videos again, you would perhaps notice that there seems to be quite a difference between the two cars, in the way they behave whilst on the test run, and also how they respond to driver inputs. Mind you, the two are approximately the same weight, and have the same 107 PS engine with 140Nm torque.

Stepping back, let us see how much each of these two cars cost. The Vios G retails at RM87, 584, whilst the Vios GR-S costs exactly RM7,700 more at RM95284.00. To make it more interesting, and easier to digest, the Vios GR-S is built on the Vios G specifications, so everything the Vios G has is found in the Vios GR-S.

The main differences in the Vios GR-S start with the GR edition items – as a spin-off from the Gazoo Racing (GR) programme, the GR-S is said to be a ‘more refined version of the Vios GR racing car’.  Included are the GR Sport badge, an aggressive aero kit that includes a sculpted front bumper similar to the GR Yaris, a rear bumper diffuser, a blacked out boot spoiler, side skirts with a 10-speed badge, and blacked out side mirrors. Also included are 17-inch rims, also blacked out for a sporty effect, and 205/45 R17 tyres. 

What is more interesting is a special tuning for the 7-speed CVT, which is reprogrammed with 10 virtual ratios and a perceptible ‘kick’ as you change gears. Finally, Toyota have also fitted a ‘sports’ suspension, basically tuned to be somewhat stiffer than stock.

“So what?” you may say, “I can do this on my own mah!” You probably can, if you know what you are doing, but I doubt if you can make a single set body kit as cost efficient as the car maker can. You can probably buy yourself a nice set of 17 inch rims and tyres, but you would have to sell off or trade in your old rims, or you are going to have four pieces of rims and tyres sitting in your verandah for a long time.

You can also possibly put in a set of coil-overs or REM shock absorbers, but you should also know how much to increase the settings, or end up doing a ‘hit or miss’ modification, and there will be a cost too.

What you probably cannot do is to re-programme the CVT, and even if you could find someone who could, there would be countless hours of trial and error, or perhaps you can find a better term for it and call it ‘R & D’. Whatever, it is there is time and money involved.

Doing the math alone, I see a cost that would be well over RM10,000, plus lots of time spent, so just on this aspect, it is worth it to just pay the package price, and it is part of the finance package too.

The main motivation for me though, is the difference in the driving dynamics. The combination of the larger and wider wheels, the sports suspension and the 10-speed CVT working through the paddle shifters really makes the Vios GR-S come alive in my hands. That alone, is priceless! Enough said!