Toyota Taisor Launched As Starlet Cross in South Africa

Toyota has launched the Taisor in South Africa but with a different moniker and some changes here and there. For reference, the Taisor is the rebadged version of the Maruti Suzuki Fronx recently launched in India. While there are no significant changes, here is how it compares to the one in India

Powertrain of the Starlet Cross

The biggest change to note on the Starlet Cross when pitted against the Taisor is in the power department. Toyota equipped the Taisor in India with either a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that produces 89 PS and 113 Nm of torque or a 1-litre turbo-petrol engine that produces 99 PS and 148 Nm of torque. On the other hand, the Starlet Cross Cross is powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that produces 104 bhp and 138 Nm of torque. The transmission options include a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

One option missing from the Starlet Cross is the optional 1.2-litre CNG engine, which can produce 76 bhp and 98.5Nm of torque and is paired to the manual gearbox only, as is available with the Indian Taisor.

Design of Starlet Cross

The design of the Starlet Cross is almost precisely the same as the Taisor, which includes the LED DRLs, the headlights and bumpers. Its grille is a little different, with the Starlet Cross taking inspiration from the Toyota Rumion and a chrome strip acting as a connection between DRLs. The sides feature similar 16-inch alloys and body cladding, while the rear has the same LED taillights connected by a lightbar. It gets two new shades over its Indian sibling: black and blue. 

Interior of the Starlet Cross 

The dashboard layout of the Starlet Cross is shared with the Taisor, but it has a different look. We saw a black and maroon combo in the Taisor, but the Starlet Cross replaced the maroon with brown. They feature a 9-inch infotainment panel with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a heads-up display, wireless phone charging, auto AC, and push-button start/stop. In terms of safety, they get up to six airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), a 360-degree camera, and rear parking sensors.

Price of Starlet Cross

The South Africa-spec Toyota Starlet Cross Cross is priced between  Rs 13.69 (R 299,900) lakh and Rs 16.4 lakh (R 359,300). Compared to the Taisor, there is a vast difference in price, as the Taisor gets a price tag of Rs 7.74 lakh and Rs 13.04 lakh (ex-showroom).

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