![]() Whatever Toyota loyalists might feel, this isn’t a case of trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, because the donor Suzuki is a good vehicle. Having previously driven the likable little Baleno I didn’t expect any surprises in the Toyota version. ![]() Ranging from R204,900 to R272,500 the Starlet slightly undercuts the Suzuki in pricing. The Starlet offers five different variants, compared with the Baleno’s three. The strong-selling Etios captured a hefty 22% slice of the sub-B segment over its lifespan.Įxcept for a slight change to the grille, the Starlet is identical to the Baleno and is powered by the same 1.4 l petrol engine mated to either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox driving the front wheels. The Starlet, that Toyota has just launched in SA is a clone of the Suzuki Baleno small hatchback that has been on sale here since 2016 - a “fake Toyota” as a certain orange-tinted world leader might uncharitably term it.īuilt in the same Indian factory as the Baleno, the Starlet replaces the Toyota Etios and has big shoes to fill. Now, Toyota’s recent alliance with Suzuki is testing brand loyalties in the high-volume budget car segment. As good as the Supra is (and it really is), the two brands appeal to different buyers and don’t necessarily splice together well. ![]() Cross-brand partnerships help keep car prices down through shared R&D costs and improved economies of scale, but motoring marriages can be controversial and they’ve had varied levels of success.Įxhibit A is Toyota’s Supra sports car, which has failed to ignite the market partly because it’s a BMW Z4 in drag.
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