Drove the All New Toyota Starlet Cross over the holidays. Motoring journalists traditionally review cars over an extended period over this time, and this year we specifically requested a smaller vehicle as the accommodation we had in Cape Town only had a narrow single garage.

Well, it turned out to be a master stroke, as we had the ideal holiday car for zipping around an insanely busy Cape Town. We were a couple, so with basically two people in the car we had loads of room to pack beach chairs, umbrellas and the like for our daily trek to the beaches.

We did do a day trip to Boschendal Wine Estate one day with four persons in the car, and on a blusterly day the Starlet Cross performed admirably, returning a decent fuel consumption of 6.6L/100km. The smaller dimensions of the Cross lend themselves to easier parking in tight spots, or fitting into mall spots with very little room.

Comments from the passengers in the rear were positive, in that they had lots of leg space, and that the drive was smooth. The engine in the Starlet Cross is a 1.5L naturally aspirated one, which is quite throaty indeed. Performance is not quite backed up by the sound, and albeit at sea-level, the car had to be driven over steep hills to keep it in the rev range.

Fuel consumption was good over the period, and was fairly close to the claimed 5.8L/100km, we got 6.4 L. The tank is quite small and we filled up twice, with an extra tank that was delivered with the car. Enjoyed the heads-up display that gave pertinent drive info. We drove the five-speed manual variant, and it had a smooth gearbox, that could keep the revs up nicely without occilating like a CVT auto would.

It has a fair size boot that handled one very large suitcase and some smaller bags.(This without taking off the back boot flap) but we had to put the other case in the rear seat area. The boot space was ample for beach patrol, or going on picnics at Kirstenbosch Gardens.

The Toyota Starlet Cross is a looker, and it got it’s fair share of admiring glances on the holiday. It is quite sculpted and has a striking front grille with chrome garnish, which is flanked by LED headlamps that add illumination and a sophisticated air. At the rear the Cross is characterized by connected LED taillights( with a Starlet-specific light signature) that seamlessly extend from

end to end. That in complimented by a sporty rear skid plate and roof end spoiler, that gives a sporty, yet functional finish. Boasting a 170mm ground clearance, it can also go off-road and onto gravel paths. We drove a rich red colour, which really stood out.

The interior has a nice multi-function steering wheel,and a Toyota is always loaded with tech, and the Starlet Cross did not disappoint. It has an infotainment system with a centrally mounted display, supporting wireless   Apple CarPlay & Android capability( 9’’ in XR, 7’’ IN XS models) ensuring seamless integration with smart phones and enhancing the driving experience with navigation, music and hands-free communication.

Standard across all variants are features such as Vehicle Stability Control(VSC),

Hill Assist Control(HAC) & ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution(EBD) providing enhanced stability & control. Equipped with six airbags, including front, side & curtain airbags in XR models and XS comes with driver & passenger airbags.

Features.

All XS models come with 3USB chargers, cruise control, leather tilt steering wheel, 4 speakers & 16’’ black-painted alloy wheels. The XR model adds tilt/telescopic steering wheel, elechromatic rearview mirror, colour multi-information display, wireless charger, driver seat height adjustment, push/start smart entry, heads-up display,360-degree panoramic reverse camera and 16’ machined alloy wheels.

Pricing.

1.5 XS manual R299 900

1.5 XS AUTO   R322 300

1.5 XR Manual R339 300

1.5 XR Auto     R359 300

All models come standard with 4-services 60 000km service plan & a 3-year/100 000km warranty.

Summation.

The Toyota Starlet Cross suited us perfectly over the vacation period. It was comfortable, reliable frugal on fuel consumption, and we knew that we were always close to a dealership if anything were to go wrong.