Toyota Taisor Gets A Name Change And Larger Petrol Engine In South Africa

Quick Highlights 

• Toyota Taisor revealed in South Africa as Starlet Cross. 
• Styling identical to India-spec model, but gets additional colour options. 
• Gets a black / brown dashboard instead of the black / maroon hue of India-spec model. 
• Features include 9-inch touchscreen, a head-up display and up to six airbags. 
• Powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine, teamed with either a 5-speed MT or 4-speed AT. 

The Toyota Taisor has been launched in South Africa as the Starlet Cross. While it looks similar to what we get in India, the Starlet Cross gets a handful of changes including a larger petrol engine. For the unknown, the Taisor / Starlet Cross is basically a rebadged version of the Fronx sub-4 metre crossover. 

Toyota Starlet Cross: Exterior Design 

In terms of design, the Starlet Cross looks identical to the Taisor we get in our markets, which ain’t a bad thing. It’s a smart looking crossover that has a likeable design. 

Up front, you get a Innova Hycross-like grille with a chrome strip that connects both the LED DRLs. The LED headlights are placed in a housing below. In profile, you get neatly styled 10-spoke alloys and a sloping roofline, giving it the crossover look. Body cladding around the wheel arches give it a nice rugged look. Rounding off the overall design are the connected  LED tail lamps that look wicked, especially at night. 

The only main change on the outside are the colour options, where the South African model gets additional options such as black and blue.  You can take a look at the colour options of both the versions here:

Toyota Starlet Cross: Interior Design 

While the dashboard layout and design is identical between the two cars, the colour schemes used are different. The Starlet Cross gets a black / brown dashboard with champagne gold inserts, while the Taisor gets a black / maroon dashboard with the same gold coloured inserts. Even the features list between both the models are identical, which is what we’ll be talking about next. 

Toyota Starlet Cross: Features Onboard 

Highlights in this department include a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic climate control, wireless phone charger, head-up display, cruise control, keyless entry with push button start and steering-wheel mounted audio controls. 

Occupant safety is taken care of by up to six airbags, ABS with EBD, 360-degree camera with rear parking sensors and electronic stability control. 

Toyota Starlet Cross: Engine Options 

This is where the Starlet Cross gets its biggest change. While the Taisor in India is offered with a choice of 1.2-litre naturally aspirated and 1-litre turbo-petrol engines, the Starlet Cross gets a 105 PS 1.5-litre NA petrol engine. It can be had with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed torque converter automatic transmission option. 

Toyota Starlet Cross: Price And Rivals 

In South Africa, the Starlet Cross is priced from R 299,900 to R 359,300 (Rs 13.69 lakh to Rs 16.4 lakh). The India-spec Taisor, on the other hand, is priced from Rs 7.74 lakh to Rs 13.04 lakh (ex-showroom). On our shores, it locks horns with the Maruti Suzuki Fronx, Tata Nexon, Kia Sonet, Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV 3XO, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger.