The name Starlet has not been used by Toyota in Europe since 1998, when the small city car was renamed to the now legendary Yaris in 1999. Since then, Toyota has not used the Starlet name. Today, we take a look at the new Toyota Starlet Cross, a compact crossover that is not intended for Europe.
Additionally, it is not actually a Toyota.
The “SuzukiYota”
Compared to our Yaris Cross, the Starlet Cross is slightly shorter in length at 3995 mm, while the Yaris Cross measures 4180 mm. It is also lower than the Yaris Cross (1550 mm versus the Yaris Cross’s 1590 mm).
The Starlet Cross hides a little secret, as it is actually a Toyota built on the old Suzuki Baleno platform, more precisely it is the sister model to the Suzuki Fronx, a crossover originally planned for the European market.
The engine lineup consists of Suzuki’s own engines. This includes a somewhat outdated 1.5-liter petrol engine without a turbo. It offers 105 hp and 138 Nm, which is quite a step back compared to the Yaris Cross’s 1.5-liter hybrid engine with 130 hp.
The Starlet Cross is not available with a CVT gearbox but can instead be equipped with either a traditional 4-speed automatic gearbox or a 5-speed manual gearbox.
Inside the cabin, it resembles more of a Toyota from a few years ago than a Suzuki. Like in an old Yaris, the Starlet Cross comes with either a 7” touchscreen or a larger 9” touchscreen in the higher trim levels. Additionally, it only has two airbags as standard and Hill Control as the sole safety feature.
If it came to Europe
The Starlet Cross is unlikely to come to Europe, despite Suzuki’s plans to bring its sister model, the Fronx, last year, which never materialized.
If it were to come to Europe, it would likely be equipped with the same 1.5-liter hybrid engine found in the Suzuki Vitara, developed by Toyota themselves. It would also need to be cheaper than the Yaris Cross and, of course, meet European safety standards.
