New Toyota Vios, from China with Love

Toyota has already confirmed its plans to take over China and benefit from its growing market, so the Japanese carmaker will launch new affordable models accompanied by green projects to tackle the EV segment. In addition, Toyota will start local production of more models, including the newly-released Vios that will arrive in Chinese facilities in the course of this year.

According to a report by China Car Times, the new Vios, a sedan version of the popular Yaris, is already a hot seller in China, as the previous generation was aimed at middle aged buyers. Thanks to its new features however, the revised Vios is intended to lure into Toyota's dealership a broader audience, including younger customers looking for sportier designs.

Besides the Vios, Toyota is also developing a new affordable Asian model that will be built by Daihatsu and will go on sale in the local markets sometimes in 2013. It will be smaller than the Etios sedan that was recently unveiled in India and will come with a price tag of approximately $9,500, sources familiar with the matter hinted last week.

Production of the car is likely to take place in Indonesia where Daihatsu will spend around 20 billion yen on a brand new facility scheduled to go into operation in 2013. Voices from within the company revealed that some of the units made there will be also sold as rebadged models wearing a Daihatsu badge, but approximately 70 percent of the whole output will be destined to the currently world's number one carmaker.