Toyota launched its Starlet in September 2020 and South Africans are loving what this subcompact model has to offer. By the way, if the car looks familiar to you, Toyota has simply rebadged the Suzuki Baleno - and it is working! The car is known as the Toyota Glanza in India where it is produced and is one of several joint projects between the two Japanese automakers.
The Toyota Starlet is powered by Suzuki's K14B which is a naturally aspirated 1,4-litre petrol engine sending 68 kW and 130 N.m to the front axle via your choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy is between 5 and 6 litres per 100km, which is good news for budget-conscious drivers.
The Toyota Starlet 1.4 Xi MT and XR MT are the 5-speed manual transmission models which have a top speed of 180kmph, while the XS AT is the 4-speed automatic model which has a 170kmph top speed. Could this be the perfect city car? The 16-inch alloy wheels and LED headlamps with integrated LED daytime running lights certainly have the chic factor.