The South African version of the Toyota Cross, excluding the engine and gearbox, is probably going to resemble the Taser built in India.
Toyota and Suzuki have worked together to create a number of automobiles that are advantageous to both companies. Thanks to the cooperation, Toyota’s badge-engineered vehicle lineup now includes the Starlet Cross, increasing its availability in the country. In case you were wondering, the Urban Cruiser Taser is now known as the Toyota Cross, while the Baleno is now known as the Starlet.
South Africa will shortly see the release of the Toyota Cross.
Products developed under the Toyota Cross and Suzuki badges have been market leaders in India in their respective categories. Various cars have been best sellers in their respective segments, including the Vitara Brezza, Baleno, and Glanza.
Beyond the Indian market, there is another formula for success. In the South African market, Toyota Cross, for instance, markets automobiles with Indian ties under the following names: Urban Cruiser (rebranded Vitara Brezza), Vitzi (rebranded Celerio), Urban Cruiser (marketed as the Urban Cruiser Hyribd in India), and Starlet (rebranded Baleno).
Toyota is prepared to introduce its most reasonably priced crossover in South Africa. car, the Toyota Cross, which was just introduced in India as the Urban Cruiser Taser. A recent source states that the Starlet Cross would be introduced in June 2024 in South Africa. Maruti Suzuki will produce the Toyota Cross in India, and it will be imported into South Africa under the Toyota Cross name.
Not much will change in terms of design from the previously released Toyota Cross Urban Cruiser Taser. This is not a bad thing, as the Taser is more aesthetically pleasing to many than the Maruti variants since it takes all the best design cues from the Suzuki models and adds Toyota Cross-specific styling and lighting components.
Hyderabad’s coupe-style, sloping roofline, triple-barrel reflector LED headlights, and linked LED tail lights-inspired LED DRLs The South African model will come equipped with turn indicators, fashionable alloy wheels, a dual-tone inside theme of Black and Berry, a wireless 9-inch infotainment screen that connects to a smartphone, a head-up display (HUD), auto climate control, and other features.
Pricing and Powertrain
This is where the differences between the South African and Indian models become apparent in terms of powertrain. Either a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged engine or a 1.2-liter 4-cylinder NA petrol engine are available in India; both are connected to a 5-speed torque converter, 5-speed AMT, or a 5-speed manual gearbox.
The South African Toyota Cross, like the Suzuki Taser with export specs, will be powered by the same 1.5L 4-cylinder NA petrol engine, which will deliver a reasonable peak torque of 138 Nm and a maximum power of 102 bps. Five-speed manual and four-speed torque converter auto box gearboxes are available as options. What Toyota Cross offers with the Starlet in the South may be comparable to the lineup of variants.
The Toyota Cross is part of a long line of Indian-made goods that Toyota sells in South Africa; similar to the Glanza, it will be made in Maruti Suzuki’s Gujarat plant for both local and international markets.
In addition to having various names, the 1.5-liter petrol engine that powers the Toyota Cross will be a major distinction. This engine will be found in the Starlet Cross. Additionally, this engine is observed in South African-sold Frank’s, Baleno, and Glanza products. The 1.0-liter turbo-petrol and 1.2-liter normally aspirated petrol engine options that are offered on the Frank’s and Taser in India are not offered in the overseas market.
The 1.5-liter K15B engine, rather than the new K15C dual-jet motor seen on the Indian version, is the engine offered in the South African-spec model. This engine, which produces 105 horsepower and 134 Nm of torque when mated to a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual gearbox, is exclusively found in the Jimny in India.
Regarding the features, it is anticipated that they will resemble the Indian model’s equipment list. There are many Toyota Cross vehicles sold in South Africa that are made in India, such as the Vitzi hatchback. The Rumian MPV, which is based on the Artiga, the Glanza hatchback, which is based on the Baleno, and the Urban Cruiser Hyribd. As part of the global collaboration between Toyota and Suzuki, Suzuki provides the majority of these.
