Page 16 - Motoring Issue 1 2021

TEST REVIEW TOYOTA

he modern motoring world is all about
TOYOTA STARLET XR
costs and economies of scale. Even the
Tworld’s largest manufacturers are
affected and this has been seen in recent
years by the growth of ever larger groups
encompassing numerous brands and marques.
Another route has been co-operation
between brands in the research and
development of new platforms and technology.
Recently, Toyota and Suzuki entered into such
an agreement and, in South Africa, the first
fruits have just been harvested.
With the end of production of the Etios Another benefit that Toyota inherits with this model is the
model, Toyota SA needed a replacement to renowned exceptional fuel economy. The Starlet set a new
contend in the value or budget segment of record on our fuel route returning an incredible 4.59l/100km.
the market. Enter the Baleno from Suzuki, a After the full test period involving urban and general use, the
B-segment contender that has been patently overall figure was exactly 5.0l/100km. Most owners should be
under-marketed in SA to date. able to achieve similar figures without too much effort.
Toyota has taken this model and made The top specification model tested includes the full
very few changes to a vehicle that I have infotainment system with the My Toyota app that provides a
always rated very highly. A new Toyota Wi-Fi hotspot and Toyota gives you 15GB of data on
corporate grille and badges on the outside and purchase. This allows full connectivity and screen mirroring
very different functionality of the infotainment through Apple Carplay or Android Auto. The view of the
screen inside are the main changes. reversing camera is also shown on the screen.
Unchanged are the underpinnings, ABS, ESP, LED headlights and six airbags are among the
starting with the lightweight and strong safety features, along with 15-inch alloy wheels.
platform that provides space, strength and The Starlet range is available from just over R200 000 with
economy. The 1.4l 4-cylinder petrol engine the XR as tested retailing at R258 300. This includes the
provides 68kW and 130Nm of torque to the standard service plan offering three services/45 000km. n
front wheels through a slick and light 5-speed
manual gearbox. (A 4-speed automatic option Use this link to watch our video review:
is also available). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1hYuCiXuag

MOTORING | Issue 1, 2021 | 14