Facelift Toyota Starlet spec and price revealed

Ahead of its South African market debut next month, Toyota has divulged price and spec details of the Starlet on its website.

The twin of the Suzuki Baleno, which incidentally will also be revealed next month, the smash-hit replacement for the long since discontinued Etios differs significantly from the former on the outside, with the interior tweaks limited to the Toyota badges replacing the Suzuki ones.

Outwardly then, the facelift Starlet receives a redesigned front bumper, a new grille with an oval chrome strip, slightly updated headlights, a new lower air intake encased in a V-pattern and Toyota bespoke alloy wheels.

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As mentioned, the Starlet’s interior, sans the Toyota badges, continues unchanged from the Baleno with the same being true of its dimensions; an overall length of 3 990 mm, wheelbase of 2 520 mm, width of 1 745 mm and height of 1 500 mm. Boot space is 314-litres with the rear seats up.

Specification-wise, Toyota has kept the Xi, Xs and Xr trim level denominators, but replaced the 1.4 K14B petrol engine with the 1.5 K15B used in the Jimny, Vitara Brezza/Urban Cruiser, Ertiga/Rumion and Ciaz/Belta.

Pumping out 77kW/138Nm, an uptake of nine kilowatts and eight Newton Metres over the 1.4, the mill is paired as standard to a five-speed manual gearbox with a four-speed automatic optional on the Xs and Xr.

Drive is once again routed to the front wheels with both the manual and automatic getting from 0-100 km/h in 11.2 seconds, with the former having the top speed advantage, 175 km/h versus 160 km/h. Claimed fuel consumption is 5.4 L/100 km for the manual and 5.7 L/100 km for the automatic.

On the features front, the Xi rides on 15-inch steel wheels with plastic covers, but sports a colour coding on the bumpers and door handles, expanded to the folding electric mirrors. Also standard is:

• seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system;
• multi-function steering wheel;
• Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and three USB ports;
• automatic air-conditioning;
• four-speaker sound system;
• all around electric windows;
• rear parking sensors;
• front armrest;
• dual front airbags;
• ABS with EBD and Brake Assist;
• Hill Start Assist;
• Vehicle Stability Control;
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Next up, the Xs swaps the steelies for 16-inch alloy wheels with its only other addition being LED fog lamps.

At the range’s summit, the Xr boasts projector-type auto on/off LED headlights, chrome door handles, leather wrapped steering and a reverse camera, plus the following:

• nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system;
• cruise control;
• six-speaker sound system;
• keyless entry;
• retractable electric mirrors;
•  electro-chromatic rear-view mirror;
• 4.2-inch TFT instrument cluster display;
• push-button start;
• six airbags

Unlike the Baleno though, the Starlet lacks both the surround-view camera system and Heads-Up Display.

Completing the Starlet are seven colour options; Champagne, Shadow Grey, Luxe Red, Premium Liquid Silver, Dark Indigo Blue, Mystic White Pearl and Shadow Black Pearl.

Price

Standard on all models is a three year/100 000 km warranty as well as a three-service/45 000 km service plan.

• Starlet 1.4 Xi – R226 200
• Starlet 1.4 Xs – R239 100
• Starlet 1.4 Xs AT – R261 100
• Starlet 1.4 Xr – R294 900
• Starlet 1.4 Xr AT – R313 300