New 2022 Toyota Starlet
By Aphiwe Nzimande
The locally well received Toyota Starlet has had an update and debut for the current year of 2022 and here's all you need to know;
The Starlet has a new revised face that features new sleek headlamps and a lot of chrome detailing. At the rear, you still have your slopping roofline with a boot lid-spoiler that integrates into the tailgate and to finish it off are two new two-piece rear light clusters which give the car an aggressive yet poised profile.
The interior also boasts a host of changes with the star of the show being large centrally-mounted infotainment (18 or 23cm) that has Android Auto and Apple Carplay connection. The Starlet features blue detailing and swooping accent lines and there's a good-old three-spoke steering wheel that has switches and controls providing the driver with an ability to switch things up without lifting their hands off the steering wheel.
All models now come with Automatic Climate Control, Power retractable mirrors and Electric windows as standard.
Driver assistance and safety are effortlessly catered to by means of rear parking sensors, Hill Assist Control, Vehicle Stability Control, ABS and EBD across the board. Driver and passenger airbags are standard with the Flagship Xr grade acquiring side and curtain versions too.
The newcomer also gets a boost in performance with the adoption of a larger 1.5-litre engine (as employed in the Urban Cruiser), replacing the outgoing 1.4-litre mill. This enhances performance by 9kW (for a total power output of 77kW), while the torque receives an 8Nm amplification to take it to a max of 138Nm. Despite the increase in performance, the fuel index remains low, ranging between 5.4 and 5.7 l/100 km.
The flagship Xr gains keyless entry, Push start and cruise control amongst other niceties.
Pricing stands as follows :
The familiar three-grade strategy has been retained (Xi, Xs and Xr). Buyers have a choice between a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission on Xs and Xr models, resulting in a model matrix of 5 variants catering to a variety of needs.
Starlet 1.5 Xi MT - R 226,200
Starlet 1.5 Xs MT - R 239,100
Starlet 1.5 Xs AT - R 261,100
Starlet 1.5 Xr MT - R 294,900
Starlet 1.5 Xr AT - R 313,300
Vehicle on sale as from 23 May 2022.
Toyota also claims "All Starlet models are sold with a 3-services/45 000 km service plan – with 15 000 km service intervals. A 3-year/100 000 km warranty is also provided. Customers can additionally purchase service plan and warranty extensions from their local Toyota dealer – and they benefit from the biggest dealer network in the country (over 220 outlets)."
