Car comparo: Toyota Vios vs. Chevrolet Sail as best subcompact sedan

For more than a decade, the Toyota Vios has become a popular model in the subcompact sedan segment. Since then, various auto manufacturers have launched their respective challengers to contend the number one spot. Recently, Chevrolet joined the battle as they introduced their first subcompact sedan - the Sail.

Will this American newcomer be as good as (or even better than) the Japanese veteran? That’s what we’re going to find out in this comparo.  

Just to be clear, we’re comparing the top-of-the-line Toyota Vios 1.5 G AT against the top-spec Chevrolet Sail 1.5 LTZ to check out the best of what both models can give. Let’s begin by looking at their suggested retail prices (SRP).  

Price

Toyota sells the Vios for P880,000. Chevrolet, on the other hand, offers the Sail for P818,888. Based on these price figures, the Sail takes the first point in this comparo because its P61,112 cheaper than the Vios.

What to do with that extra money? You can use it either for accessorizing the Sail or save it as backup money for emergencies.

The Sail may have won this, but will the Vios fight back in the next round? That question has an interesting answer as we check what’s under the hood.

Performance

Powering the Vios is a 1.5L gasoline engine mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission. Meanwhile, the Sail comes fitted with a gasoline-fed 1.5L engine and a 4-speed automatic gearbox with Active Select. This allows drivers to manually shift gears when needed.

The Sail’s slight edge on the transmission hints of its techier nature vs. the Vios, but is that enough to win this round? Not quite as the 2 exchange blows closely in terms of performance rating. The Vios can produce 107 hp and 142 Nm of torque, while the Sail is able to generate 109 hp and 141 Nm. The Vios has more torque, but the Sail is more powerful. That’s why we conclude this round with a tie.

Dimension

A size comparison of them shows that the Vios’ 4,410 mm length stretches 110 mm longer than the Sail’s. But the 1,735 mm width of the Sail is wider than the Vios by 35 mm. Its 1,504 mm height is also taller than the Japanese car by 29 mm. As for the wheelbase, the Vios measures 2,550 mm in length, that’s 50 mm longer than the Sail.

This means that the passengers can enjoy more legroom and arm movement in the Vios. The Sail, on the other hand, presents better head and shoulder rooms. We could’ve scored this round with another tie, but the Vios has a ground clearance of 145 mm. That’s 15 mm higher than the Sail. This higher stance can prove useful on rainy days when traveling to areas with ankle- or shin-deep floods. That said, we give this round to the Toyota Vios.

Interior

Interior-wise, the Vios comes with a simple set of features; manual air conditioning and an integrated-type entertainment system with CD and MP3 playback.

As for the Sail, a host of features come as standard. These include automatic climate control and a 9-inch touch screen infotainment system. This system allows smartphone connectivity to use apps such as Spotify, Waze, or Google Play. Passengers can then charge their devices with the Sail’s onboard power outlet. On top of that, the Sail is the only model in its class to offer a sunroof.

At this point, the score is 2 – 1 in favor of the Sail. But the battle is not over yet as there’s still 1 more round left.

Safety/technology

For safety, both models offer dual front passenger airbags and Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS). The Vios, however adds Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist to its ABS. These features make its stopping power more efficient than the Sail. Although the Sail has speed-sensing automatic door locks, this didn’t help it to win this round.

With its more important roster of safety features, the final round goes to the Toyota Vios.

As the final score of 2 – 2 suggests, it’s an even standoff for the Toyota Vios and the Chevrolet Sail. Although the Sail is cheaper, it offers more tech features for today’s generation of smartphone-savvy buyers. The Vios, on the other hand, has a higher ground clearance and is fitted with better safety features than its American challenger. When it comes to performance, both models duke it out fairly with the Vios having more torque and the Sail putting out more power.

If you want to compare these 2 vehicles, visit the AutoDeal Comparison Tool.