Toyota Starlet Cross just what the doctor ordered for the have-nots

In a car-loving country, where there are those that have way more than they can ever need while millions have literally nothing, a car like the Toyota Starlet Cross ticks all the boxes for the working class that finds itself slogging away each day to put a roof over their heads.

A sticker price that starts at under R300 000, cool coupe meets SUV styling, decent spec and space, a fuel efficient powerplant and South Africa’s favourite car badge on the nose will go towards ensuring that the Starlet Cross will make its way into many new homes.

The Citizen Motoring recently spent some time in the Toyota Starlet Cross during its national media launch in Gauteng. The drive included some urban and open road driving, mixed with a bit of dirt road. It was enough for us to confidently proclaim that this car offers exactly what it says it does on the box when you purchase it.

It’s honest, down to earth and a transport for those that don’t have the privilege of not having to work within a monthly budget.

Two trim levels on offer

Two grades are offered in the Xs and XR. Stepping inside the Toyota Starlet Cross, the production sibling of the Suzuki Fronx, you are greeted by a high-quality cloth interior along with the likes of a three-tone dashboard adorned with Charcoal, Silver and Bordeaux finishes. There are some chrome accents thrown into the mix and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality.

All Xs models offer a 7-inch infotainment system, three USB chargers, cruise control, leather tilt multi-function steering wheel and four speakers.

The XR model sees the upgrade to a 9-inch infotainment system, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, electrochromic rearview mirror, colour multi-information display, wireless charger, driver seat height adjustment, push start + smart entry, head-up display and a 360-degree panoramic view monitor reverse camera.

Hitting the road, or flying, as one friendly traffic officer told my driving partner he was doing, comes courtesy of the familiar 77kW/138Nm 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that now does duty in millions of cars around the globe. We sampled both gearbox derivatives on offer, the four-speed auto and five-speed manual.

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Light on the juice

The urban convenience of the auto comes at the cost of urge, especially when on the open road. The manual felt somewhat peppier, especially in and around town, and a little easier to live with on the freeway also courtesy of the extra gear.

I honestly didn’t expect anything different from these engine/gearbox combos on offer. They feature in so many other cars we have tested over the years.

What was also very much as expected, was the new Toyota Starlet Cross crossover‘s fuel consumption. The claims are 5.6-litres per 100km for the manual and 5.8 for the auto, and without even trying, because we were flying after all, we saw numbers in the low sixes on our drive.

Safety systems include Vehicle Stability Control, Hill Assist Control, ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, six airbags, including front, side and curtain airbags in XR models and passenger airbags on both derivatives.

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Toyota Starlet Cross pricing

• Starlet Cross 1.5 Xs – R299 900
• Starlet Cross 1.5 Xs AT – R322 200
• Starlet Cross 1.5 XR – R339 300
• Starlet Cross 1.5 XR AT – R359 300

*Pricing includes three-year/100 000km warranty and four-services/60 000km service plan.