Urban Cruiser Taisor to Debut as Toyota Starlet Cross in South Africa
The Urban Cruiser Taisor unveiled in India will indeed adopt the moniker Toyota Starlet Cross upon its launch in South Africa. Moreover, it appears that its arrival on local shores will be slightly earlier than initially anticipated.
According to the latest information available, the new Starlet Cross, a coupé-style crossover based on the Suzuki Fronx, is scheduled to make its debut in the Mzansi market as early as June 2024. It’s worth noting that the local lineup for the Starlet Cross is expected to comprise four derivatives upon launch, all powered by the ubiquitous 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder petrol engine.
Similar to its application in various other Suzuki and Toyota models, this K15B engine will deliver 77 kW and 138 Nm to the front axle through either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed automatic transmission. As anticipated, this means that the atmospheric 1.2-liter and turbocharged 1.0-liter petrol engines offered in India will not be available in South Africa.
In South Africa, the XR variants will come with a bi-tone finish as an option. As for the standard specification, the XS grade is expected to boast features like 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps, automatic air conditioning, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, cruise control, a 7-inch touchscreen system, rear parking sensors, and a reversing camera. Safety features for the XS are expected to include ABS with EBD, stability control, hill-ascent control, dual front airbags, and ISOFIX child-seat anchors.
Upgrading to the XR trim level is expected to add features such as silver side-sill garnish, additional airbags (bringing the total to six), an electro-chromatic interior mirror, a color instrument display, a 9-inch touchscreen, a 360-degree camera system, a head-up display, push-button start, wireless smartphone charging, an illuminated glovebox, and tilt-and-telescopic adjustment for the steering column.
The new Starlet Cross will be available in a choice of six exterior paint colors in South Africa, along with three bi-tone options exclusive to the XR grade. All SA-spec variants are expected to come with the “black and berry” fabric interior color theme used in India.
While local pricing for the new Starlet Cross has not been officially released, it is anticipated to be positioned at the entry point of Toyota’s local crossover lineup, below the Indian-manufactured Urban Cruiser. This would make it Toyota’s most affordable crossover in the local market. With its competitive pricing and anticipated features, the Starlet Cross has the potential to become another significant volume driver for Toyota SA Motors, following in the footsteps of the old Urban Cruiser.