Toyota Agya vs Toyota Starlet

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.

Includes a historical vehicle

Current, upcoming and historical vehicles can be compared side by side. Historical records keep their verified specifications, while price labels show last-listed context rather than current new-car availability.

Toyota Agya Discontinued model
Toyota Agya in South Africa

Toyota Agya

1.0 XR CVT Petrol CVT Discontinued model
ZAR 229,900 last listed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 51 kW 🔧 91 Nm ⛽ 18.0 km/l
VS
Toyota Starlet in South Africa

Toyota Starlet

1.0T XR CVT Petrol CVT Current
ZAR 319,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 72 kW 🔧 140 Nm ⛽ 16.7 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Starlet
Fuel Economy Agya
🛡 Safety Starlet
📦 Practicality Starlet
🔑 Ownership Tie
Recorded price context Agya: last listed from ZAR 189,900 · Starlet: current from ZAR 244,900

Key Specs Side by Side

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

Spec Agya Starlet
Maximum Power 51 kW @ 6000 rpm 72 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque 91 Nm @ 3600 rpm 140 Nm
Engine Size 998 cc 996 cc
Claimed Mileage 18.0 km/l 16.7 km/l
Ground Clearance 155 mm 162 mm
Boot / Load Bay 235 l 265 l
Airbags 4 7
Kerb Weight 870 kg 1005 kg
Seating Capacity Not confirmed -
Warranty 3 3 years / 100 000 km

= leads in this spec

Archived models stay fully comparable. Verified specs remain visible; historical fields that were not source-confirmed are marked Not confirmed instead of being guessed.

The Bottom Line

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

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Starlet +10 pts
Efficiency Agya +4 pts
Safety Starlet +28 pts
Practicality Starlet +3 pts
Ownership Equal

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Agya

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Fewer listed safety features
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Efficiency
Catalogue-index leader

Starlet

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

Agya

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use

Starlet

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.

Spec Agya Starlet
Model Introduced Year 2015 2020
Generation Second generation Agya for South Africa First generation Starlet in South Africa on B-segment platform
Facelift History Updated with refreshed styling and features Minor updates since launch
Tare Mass Kg 870 kg 1005 kg
Facelift Launched Since Not confirmed Original current-generation version
Facelift Version Ending Not confirmed Current
Body Style Not confirmed Hatchback
Color Note Not confirmed White, Silver, Grey, Blue, Red, Orange
Dealer Stock Note Not confirmed Top grade in the South Africa lineup
Model Year Not confirmed 2026
Production Status Not confirmed published
Segment Not confirmed Hatchback
Vehicle Type Not confirmed Hatchback
Spec Agya Starlet
Drivetrain Layout Front Wheel Drive Front Wheel Drive
LSD Available Not Applicable Not Applicable
Transfer Case Not Applicable Not Applicable
Differential Lock Not Applicable Not Applicable
Paddle Shifters Not Applicable Not Applicable
Engine Position Front Transverse Front Transverse
Gearbox CVT Automatic CVT Automatic
Transmission Type CVT Automatic Continuously Variable Transmission
Gearbox Type CVT Automatic CVT Automatic
Final Drive Ratio Not confirmed Not Applicable
Number of Gears Not confirmed 4
Clutch Type Not confirmed Not Applicable
Gear Shift Indicator Not confirmed Not Applicable
Drivetrain Not confirmed FWD/
4WD Engagement Not confirmed Not Applicable
4WD Hi Range Not confirmed Not Applicable
4WD Lo Range Not confirmed Not Applicable
4WD Selector Not confirmed Not Applicable
Automatic Shift Paddles Not confirmed Not Applicable
Differential Type Front Not confirmed Not Available
Differential Type Rear Not confirmed Not Available
Front Differential Lock Not confirmed Not Applicable
Low Range Ratio Not confirmed Not Applicable
Low Range Not confirmed Not Applicable
Axle Layout Not confirmed FWD
Rear Differential Lock Not confirmed Not Applicable
Transfer Case Guard Not confirmed Not Available
Transmission Speeds Not confirmed 4
Gear Shift Type Not confirmed CVT Automatic

Source-backed Catalogue Index

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

Weighted / 100
Catalogue-index readout

Starlet leads by 8 points

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

Index leader 59 /100
Lead 8 points
Data 83% source coverage
59
#1 Index leader

Starlet

83% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 98 Check Performance 32
Performance 32
Efficiency 66
Safety 98
Practicality 56
Ownership 43
Leads by 8 points
51
#2

Agya

79% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Efficiency 70 Check Performance 22
Performance 22
Efficiency 70
Safety 70
Practicality 53
Ownership 43
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Starlet +10 Efficiency Agya +4 Safety Starlet +28 Practicality Starlet +3 Ownership Level

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Catalogue-index leader

Starlet

Performance 32/100
Efficiency 66/100
Safety 98/100
Practicality 56/100
Ownership 43/100

Agya

Performance 22/100
Efficiency 70/100
Safety 70/100
Practicality 53/100
Ownership 43/100

How to Read This Comparison

🏆 Toyota Starlet leads the catalogue index with 59 pts vs 51 pts for Agya

In Hagalu's source-backed catalogue index, Starlet leads. However, Agya 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 Agya and Starlet 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: Agya 22 vs Starlet 32.

Efficiency index: Agya 70 vs Starlet 66.

Safety-equipment index: Agya 70 vs Starlet 98.

Practicality index: Agya 53 vs Starlet 56.

Ownership-cover index: Agya 43 vs Starlet 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.