Will the pope use a Raum or Vitz?
The Toyota Vitz is one of the cars that was inspected by the Vatican to be used by the Pope during his stay in Uganda. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
Pope Francis has shown a preference for compact cars in the countries he has gone to. In Uganda, two cars that were inspected by the Vatican to this effect were Raum and Vitz. Below, Mustafa Ziraba gives a review of both cars.
During his installation mass in March 2013, Pope Francis opted for an open-back-Mercedes jeep instead.
He did the same after his election when he spurned a limo preferring to ride back to his residence on a minibus with other cardinals.
At the mass, Pope Francis called for greater austerity from religious figures, He said,
“It hurts me when I see a priest or nun with the latest-model car. You can’t do this. A car is necessary to do a lot of work, but, please, choose a more humble one. If you like the fancy one, just think about how many children are dying of hunger in the world.” The Ford Focus is a compact car.
His choice of car for moving around the Vatican is reportedly a compact Ford Focus which is a far cry from the luxury cars used by his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who used vehicles such as a custom-made Renault, a BMW X5, and a Mercedes.
Pope Francis has lived up to his words as reflected in his choice of cars during the different visits in various countries.
During the preparations of his visit to Uganda, the Vatican wrote and said the Pope wants to use a simple car.
Sources say the Vatican has approved use of a Vitz. It is also said the Raum was earlier inspected.
Vitz
Commonly known as just the Vitz, the Toyota Vitz was Toyota’s answer to the market. The 1998 to 2005 models being the most popular in Uganda, this car is all curves and organic shapes and seems to have aged reasonably well when if it has aesthetically been maintained. Available in both three and five door hatchback formats, the latter is the smart buy purely for the extra convenience.
I must say inside, the Vitz is odd. There is the centrally located instrumentation that leaves a bare expanse of plastic directly in front of the driver, while the instruments themselves including the speedometer sometimes a digital one are viewed right in the centre. For the digital one it’s sort of cool as it’s viewed down a virtual tunnel, thanks to a projected-image arrangement. It could seem a little strange at first but most people shall adapt rather quickly. In my experience though, this instrumentation positioning soon gets plain weird, especially at night when the dash area in front of the steering wheel is unlit.
Screwed to a four-speed automatic transmission under that bonnet there is a 1L or a 1.3L four-cylinder engine. Such a small engine isn’t exactly powerful but it is willing and relatively smooth as the car is small and light, so for what it is, this is a capable engine.
The brakes are of the front disc-rear drum variety predictably for cars of its time, and anti-lock braking system is standard. Safety wise you get the now very standard dual airbags for the driver and front passenger. Fuel consumption is super delivering up to 15 kilometres for every litre.
Out on the road and in normal day to day use, the Vitz shall appeal to those who view the purchase of a car much like that of a cooker or a fridge. The car they choose must perform its functions reliably and without fuss, stress or expense. It must be as simple to operate as a phone and should demand as little input as possible from the operator.
On all these counts, the Vitz scores heavily. It even scores heavier on account of its fuel sipping skills. It’s a cinch to drive, simple to park and economical to run.
An inoffensive little car that will not let you down, but will not excite you very much either. This car seats four in surprising comfort. Comfort in back is impressive too, given the Vitz’ tiny exterior dimensions.
However, for the two door, there is some inconvenience getting in and out of the back. Since this is a budget car, you shall find that there are a few niggles including lots of road noise at high speeds, and again at high speeds the stability is troubled.
Raum
Speaking of compact cars, the other breed of popular compact cars are mini Multi-Purpose Vehicles (MPVs) like the Spacio, Raum. The Toyota Raum was introduced sometime in 1997 as a mini-MPV with the looks and dynamics of a small hatchback but the space and convenience of a minivan. It was replaced with an all new Raum in 2003, produced till 2011 meaning you shall continue seeing the Raum for several more years.
The Raum looks quite similar to a Toyota Spacio or the Mazda Premacy and for many buyers of cars in this category, chances are the choice always comes down to between the Spacio and Raum with the Mazda waving in the background.
I have always found the sliding doors on the Raum quite helpful when opening in tight spaces. Newer cars with the same type of doors have then electronically controlled thus can be closed or opened with simple touch of a button. In fact for the second generation Raum, there are no pillars or support structures between the doors on the left (front passenger side). Instead, they are attached to the roof and floor structures to enable a large opening with easy access to all the seats inside. The rear opens like a door.
Best part of this car is that it’s a hatchback, but it feels like an SUV when you sit inside due to the high seating position and lots of space. The mechanical bits are identical to several cars in the Toyota’s line up of the time including the Corolla.
All Raums come with automatic transmissions and a 1.5L engine that is shared with the Corolla. Safety features are just like any Toyota of the time in the same class including the driver and passenger airbags and Anti-Lock Braking System. Fuel consumption is super excellent returning up to 13 kilometres for every litre and even higher on the highway.
