What is it?

The Starlet has firmly established itself as one of South Africa’s favourite hatchbacks. Together with the Starlet Cross, the duo have sold 15 238 units in the first eight months of 2025 alone, with the Starlet contributing 8 691 units (averaging 1 100 a month) and the Starlet Cross adding 6 547 units (around 820 a month). Their success has played a key role in bolstering Toyota’s passenger sales, which reached 58 370 units over the same period.

What is new?

Starlet Xi and Xs grades, as well as the Starlet Cross Xs, will be equipped with side and curtain airbags as standard. This means that even more customers can now enjoy the reassurance of enhanced protection, complementing the driver and passenger airbags already fitted. For the range-topping Starlet Cross XR, these features remain part of its comprehensive standard safety package.

In another boost for customers, the Toyota Starlet now comes with a 60 000km service plan as standard, up from the previous 45 000km. This extension not only adds greater peace of mind but also delivers improved value, helping to reduce overall running costs.

“With these specification updates, we’re not only expanding the safety features across more grades but also enhancing the Toyota ownership experience,” says Tasneem Lorgat, General Manager of Marketing Communications at TSAM.