Toyota Vitz 1.0 F
Toyota’s new little Vitz packed four-adult room, a fresh one-litre engine and a tiny turning circle into a 3.61-metre body.
Toyota Vitz 104.JPG · Tennen-Gas · CC BY-SA 3.0
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More than a set of wheels.
Toyota began Japanese Vitz sales on 13 January 1999 through Netz dealers. The platform, engine, transmissions and suspension were all new. Rather than simply shrinking an older car, Toyota used a long wheelbase, tall roof and wheels pushed outward to create a roomy ‘short and tall’ package. The related export car became the Yaris, but this profile stays with the Japanese Vitz F specification.
Look a little closer.
Toyota said the name came from the German word Witz—wit or cleverness—and built that idea into details such as the 4.3-metre turning radius.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Short outside, long between the wheels
The Vitz measured only 3,610 mm end to end, yet its 2,370 mm wheelbase and 1,500 mm height let Toyota claim room for four adults up to 190 cm tall. Upright hip points also made the seats easier to step into.
Source: Toyota Global · Vitz—The New Benchmark for Compacts ↗A new engine and gearbox as a system
Toyota paired its lightweight one-litre engine with a small Super ECT automatic that used a high-efficiency torque converter, low-friction parts and Flex Lock-Up. That systems approach supported the Japanese 10-15-cycle fuel figure without making the car large or heavy.
Source: Toyota Global · Vitz—The New Benchmark for Compacts ↗Where these facts come from
- Toyota Global Newsroom · Vitz—The New Benchmark for Compacts
- Toyota 75 Years · First-generation Vitz lineage and specification
- Toyota certified-used catalogue · January 1999 Vitz F
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 2, 2026.