Made-in-India Toyota Starlet (Rebadged Glanza) Hits South African Markets

We've been seeing many made-in-India cars exported to other countries, including the Maruti S-Presso, Ford Ecosport, Kia Seltos, Chevrolet Beat and VW Vento. The latest product to join n the list will be the Toyota Glanza that is set to hit at least 47 countries in South Africa under the new name "Starlet".

Starlet Name Origins

The name "Starlet" originates from a sub-compact hatchback by Toyota that was around the market from 1973 - 1999. After almost a decade of disappearance, the Starlet nameplate is revised on the rebadged Glanza which will join the company's Africa portfolio including the Land Cruiser 200, Hilux pickup truck and Hiace commercial van.

Glanza Origins

In June 2019, Toyota introduced the Glanza which is the very first outcome of Suzuki-Toyota joint venture in the Indian market. Although the Glanza can’t outperform its donor model, the Maruti Baleno in the terms of sales, it is still a major contributor of Toyota in India, with the sales figure recorded at 1,418 units in August 2020.

The Glanza and Baleno are largely similar in terms of design, features and mechanicals, except for some minor changes on the design. Both cars are packed with some features like a touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, a TFT MID for the instrument cluster, automatic climate control, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, auto projector headlamps, UV protect glass among others. However, the key benefit that the Toyota Glanza offers is that some of its variants are cheaper than the equivalents of the Baleno. The Glanza also gets better warranty schemes.

Unlike the India-spec Glanza and Baleno, the Toyota Starlet will be available with a 1.4-litre petrol engine that is capable of generating the maximum power of 93 HP. To recap, the Maruti Baleno and Toyota Glanza come with a 1.2-litre four-cylinder NA petrol engine that churns out 83 HP and 113 Nm of peak torque. There’s also a mild-hybrid system on offer and it puts out an additional power of 7 HP.

In India, the Toyota Glanza is currently priced in the range of Rs 7.01 – 8.96 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) while the Baleno is positioned between Rs 5.63 – 8.96 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Japanese auto giant will launch the Glanza in the South African markets with the same price range as the Baleno. It will be priced at around R 221,900 ( Rs 9.63 lakhs) and R 274,900 (Rs 11.93 lakhs).