Johannesburg - The Toyota Vitz is set to go on sale in South Africa soon, superseding the Agya as the Japanese brand’s cheapest new vehicle on local soil.
Essentially a rebadged Suzuki Celerio and hailing from the latter’s Maruti division in India, the Toyota Vitz is unique to South Africa.
The Toyota Vitz will be available in three flavours, with the standard 1.0-litre manual model commanding a price tag of R189 900. Buyers with deeper pockets can also opt for an XR flagship model, priced at R219 900 in manual form and R239 900 when fitted with the AMT automated gearbox.
However, the Toyota comes at a premium over its Celerio twin, which is priced between R178 900 and R213 900. That said, it is cheaper than the Agya it replaces, which was listed R206 000 during its run-out phase.
In terms of standard specification, the standard Vitz 1.0 manual model provides only the basics, including air conditioning, power steering and rear park distance control, while safety kit includes dual front airbags, ABS and VSC stability control.
However this model comes with old fashioned manually-winding windows and there’s no audio system, although it is pre-wired with two speakers and is compatible with Toyota Connect. Externally the base model is distinguished by 14-inch covered steel wheels, while the mirrors and door handles are unpainted.
If you move on up to the 1.0 XR model, you’ll get to enjoy a touchscreen audio system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as well as two additional speakers, remote unlocking, electric windows, USB port and a rev counter. Externally the XR gains 15-inch alloy wheels as well as colour coded mirrors and door handles.
Across the board, power comes from a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder normally aspirated petrol engine, which produces 49kW and 89Nm. It’s paired with a five-speed manual gearbox, while the XR is optionally available with a five-speed automated AMT transmission.
Based on our previous experiences with the Celerio, the powerplant is impressively frugal - we averaged around 5.6 l/100km in town - and offers willing performance in the urban jungle. It felt a bit under-geared at freeway speeds however, but this is par for the course in the city car segment.
What’s more, the interior felt spacious by budget car standards and the boot is decently sized, offering a capacity of 295 litres.
It’s available with seven exterior colours: Jet Blue, Torch Red, Coffee Brown, Shadow Black Pearl, Mystic Pearl White, Urban Silver and Dusk Grey.
The Toyota Vitz is sold with a three-year or 100 000km warranty and two-service or 30 000km service plan.
Sources: Cars.co.za, Toyota South Africa