Suzuki Across vs Toyota Starlet Cross

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Suzuki Across in South Africa

Suzuki Across

1.5 GLX 6AT Petrol Mild Hybrid 6-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 464,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 76 kW 🔧 137 Nm ⛽ 18.9 km/l
VS
Toyota Starlet Cross in South Africa

Toyota Starlet Cross

1.5 XR CVT Petrol CVT Current
ZAR 375,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 77 kW 🔧 140 Nm ⛽ 18.5 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Tie
Fuel Economy Across
🛡 Safety Across
📦 Practicality Across
🔑 Ownership Not enough comparable data
Starlet Cross starts ZAR 45,000 cheaper Across from ZAR 349,900 · Starlet Cross from ZAR 304,900

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec Across Starlet Cross
Maximum Power 75.8 kW @ 6000 rpm 77 kW
Maximum Torque 136.8 Nm @ 4400 rpm 140 Nm
Engine Size 1462 cc 1498 cc
Combined Fuel Economy 18.9 km/l 18.5 km/l
Ground Clearance 210 mm 185 mm
Boot / Load Bay 333 l 270 l
Airbags 6 4
Kerb Weight - 1080 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Warranty 5 years / 200,000 km promotional warranty 3 years / 100 000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

Across has a modest catalogue-index lead, while Starlet Cross remains close.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Equal
Efficiency Across +6 pts
Safety Across +21 pts
Practicality Across +4 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Catalogue-index leader

Across

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to: Published Efficiency Published Practicality

Starlet Cross

Strengths
  • Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: General Use

Which One's Right for You?

Across

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Starlet Cross

  • Buyers who prefer this derivative's confirmed specification mix

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Across Starlet Cross
Model Introduced Year 2026 2022
Generation First South African generation of the current Across First generation Starlet Cross for SA market
Facelift History All-new March 2026 South African launch model; no facelift yet Introduced to SA in 2022 as a Starlet-based crossover
Facelift Launched Since Original current-generation version 2022
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style Five-door compact SUV SUV
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status On sale published
Segment C-segment family SUV SUV
Tare Mass Kg 1200-1250 kg 1080 kg
Vehicle Type Passenger vehicle SUV
Color Note - White Pearl, Silver Metallic, Black, Blue, Red
Dealer Stock Note - Top grade in the South Africa lineup
Spec Across Starlet Cross
Length 4360 mm 4055 mm
Width 1795 mm 1740 mm
Height 1655 mm 1575 mm
Wheelbase 2600 mm 2520 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 210 mm 185 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 45 l 42 l
Boot/Cargo Space 333 l 270 l
Payload Capacity 460 kg -
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows -
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.4 m 5.1 m
Kerb Weight - 1080 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) - 1480 kg

Source-backed Catalogue Index

A transparent specification index shown only when every vehicle clears the minimum comparable-data threshold.

Weighted / 100
Catalogue-index readout

Across leads by 9 points

Across has a modest catalogue-index lead, while Starlet Cross remains close.

Index leader 64 /100
Lead 9 points
Data 73% source coverage
64
#1 Index leader

Across

73% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 91 Check Performance 34
Performance 34
Efficiency 76
Safety 91
Practicality 62
Leads by 9 points
55
#2

Starlet Cross

79% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Efficiency 70 Check Performance 34
Performance 34
Efficiency 70
Safety 70
Practicality 58
Ownership 43
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Level Efficiency Across +6 Safety Across +21 Practicality Across +4

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Catalogue-index leader

Across

Performance 34/100
Efficiency 76/100
Safety 91/100
Practicality 62/100

Starlet Cross

Performance 34/100
Efficiency 70/100
Safety 70/100
Practicality 58/100
Ownership 43/100

How to Read This Comparison

🏆 Suzuki Across leads the catalogue index with 64 pts vs 55 pts for Starlet Cross

In Hagalu's source-backed catalogue index, Across leads. However, Starlet Cross may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the exact South African derivatives on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.

Hagalu does not publish a guaranteed resale winner. Depreciation depends on age, mileage, condition, derivative, colour, supply and demand. Compare several current used-market listings and obtain trade-in valuations for equivalent examples before relying on a resale estimate.

Check the exact derivatives for drive type, ground clearance, tyres, approach and departure angles, wading depth and low-range gearing where officially disclosed. SUV styling or all-wheel drive alone does not prove that a vehicle is suitable for demanding off-road use.

Calculate each exact derivative using your monthly distance and a current fuel or electricity price, then add finance, insurance, scheduled service, tyres and licence costs. Hagalu does not claim a fixed monthly saving without those buyer-specific inputs.

It is worth more only when the exact price difference buys equipment, space, performance or ownership cover that matters to you. Compare like-for-like lifecycle states and derivatives; a current offer and a historical last-listed price are not directly equivalent.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

This Across and Starlet Cross comparison uses the exact South African derivatives selected above. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Across 34 vs Starlet Cross 34.

Efficiency index: Across 76 vs Starlet Cross 70.

Safety-equipment index: Across 91 vs Starlet Cross 70.

Practicality index: Across 62 vs Starlet Cross 58.

Ownership-cover index: Across not separately scored vs Starlet Cross 43.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.