Introduced to the SA market in September, the Toyota Starlet is essentially an Etios replacement. This is quite an upgrade, and I doubt the Etios will be missed that much. To those unaware, Toyota collaborated with Suzuki to give us the Starlet. The Starlet is essentially a rebadged Suzuki Baleno (which is a superb car – you can read all about the Suzuki Baleno on Khulekani on Wheels).
Styling
The Starlet is a good looking car, a classic hatchback design – with a short, downward-sloping nose and rounded-off rear hatch. To differentiate it from the Baleno it features two chrome inlays with the Toyota insignia right in the center. Being the top of the range XR model it comes standard with LED daytime running lights, LED headlights, fog lamps, chrome door handles, rear spoiler, and 16-inch alloy wheels.
The on-centre Multi-Information Display is a great feature, it has information like cruise control speed, fuel consumption, brake & acceleration indicator just to mention a few.
Malusi
Inside
From a distance, you’d think it’s small, but hop inside and you’ll be surprised how spacious it is for driver and passengers. It offers good head and legroom. Boot space comes in at 345 litres and 1 075 litres with the rear seats folded down. The infotainment comes courtesy of Toyota Connect which comes with Apple Car Play and Android Auto. The only gripe I have with the infotainment system is that there’s no physical volume knob. Instead, you have to jab at the screen to increase or decrease volume which is sometimes delayed. Reverse camera and PDC comes standard in the XR model. The on-centre Multi-Information Display is a great feature, it has information like cruise control speed, fuel consumption, brake & acceleration indicator just to mention a few. The cloth seats came in a two-tone black and blue colour combination which look great and quite comfortable.
The Drive
The Starlet has one engine throughout the range – a 1.4-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine producing 68kW and 130 Nm of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox. It’s a great little engine and doesn’t feel like it needs and extra gear. I found myself doing the claimed fuel consumption of 5.1 l/100 km consistently with the worst going up to 5.5 l/100 km. It’s a pleasure to drive on a daily.
It’s a pleasure to drive on a daily.
Malusi
Safety
On the safety side, it features ABS, EBD, Brake Assist (BA), and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC). Xi and Xs models get Driver and Passenger (D+P) airbags whilst this top of the range models get additional Curtain and Side airbags. All models also feature IsoFix points and a security system.
Verdict
The Starlet is a great replacement for the Etios. Not only does it offer great looks, and a great little engine but also from a price point. The Toyota Starlet starts at R204 900 which is cheaper than the Baleno and other competitors. The Xʀ model we had on test comes in at R258 500 which is great value for money in my opinion. This car will do well in the current market because of two things: one, it has a Toyota badge on it. Toyota could have picked any other brand to collaborate with any other brand but chose Suzuki, which is quite a reputable manufacturer. Two, Toyota’s extremely vast dealership network. As much as the Starlet is new to the market, the VW Polo Vivo should be a bit scared because the Starlet is out to get a piece of the pie.
Specs
- Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol
- Power: 68kW @ 6000 rpm
- Torque: 130 Nm @ 4200 rpm
- Transmission: five-speed manaul
- Acceleration: 10.9 seconds (claimed)
- Top Speed: –
- Fuel Consumption: 5.1 l/100 km (claimed)
- Price: R258 500
