Recent X-ray and neutron diffraction experiments revealed that the metal--insulator transition of BaVS₃ at T_MI \simeq 70K is accompanied by crystallographic superlattice formation along the c axis and nearly uniform reduction of the magnetic moment to approximately half of S = 1/2. The origin of the transition is discussed assuming anisotropic conduction bands.

PACS numbers: 71.30.+h, 75.25.+z, 71.45.Lr