New Toyota Vitz replaces Agya in SA
LOCAL LAUNCH/ The small hatch is the brand’s most budget-friendly local offering, writes Thomas Falkiner
The new Toyota Vitz replaces the Agya as the brand’s most budget-friendly local offering in SA. Essentially a rebranded Suzuki Celerio with a Toyota badge on its radiator grille, the Vitz hatch is sure to pique the interest of those looking to bag maximum bang for their buck.
Riding on 14-inch steel wheels with smart plastic covers, the Vitz 1.0 is the cheapest model in the range with a starting price of R189,900. While it doesn’t come fitted with a factory sound system (though there are two speakers in the front doors allowing you to install your own), standard niceties include air-conditioning, rear park distance control, a 12V power socket and an adjustable steering column. Keeping things safe on the road are dual front airbags, ABS brakes with EBD, vehicle stability control and rear Isofix tethers.
Next up is the R219,900 Vitz 1.0 Xr model that ups the ante with 15-inch alloy wheels, colour-coded door handles, front fog lights, rear window wiper and colour-coded, powered side mirrors. Inside the cabin you will find a fourspeaker Toyota Display Audio system that syncs with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via a single USB port. Finishing things off is the addition of a racy digital tachometer and electric windows front and rear.
Both models are powered by the same 1.0l three-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine making 49kW and 89Nm of torque. This is fed to the front wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox, though the Xr model can be ordered with an optional five-speed automated manual transmission (AMT) that adds an extra R20,000 onto the price tag (R239,900 total). While straightline performance is nothing to write home about — all models have a top speed of 160km/h — running costs should be refreshingly low, with Toyota claiming a combined fuel consumption of 4.4l/100km for the manuals and 4.2l/100km for the AMT.
For peace of mind, all new Toyota Vitz models come with a standard three-year/ 100,000km factory warranty and a two-service/30,000km service plan.