Toyota Starlet Cross vs Toyota Yaris

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

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 Yaris Discontinued model
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
VS
Toyota Yaris in South Africa

Toyota Yaris

1.5 XR CVT Petrol CVT Discontinued model
ZAR 359,900 last listed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 88 kW 🔧 145 Nm ⛽ 15.1 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Toyota Starlet Cross vs Toyota Yaris: the short answer

Starlet Cross and Yaris are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Recorded price context Starlet Cross: current from ZAR 304,900 · Yaris: last listed from ZAR 289,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Starlet Cross Yaris
Maximum Power Starlet Cross77 kW Yaris88 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque Starlet Cross140 Nm Yaris145 Nm @ 4800 rpm
Engine Size Starlet Cross1498 cc Yaris1496 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Starlet Cross18.5 km/l Yaris15.1 km/l
Ground Clearance Starlet Cross185 mm Yaris160 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

Independent editorial assessment

Hagalu editorial ratings

When a variant is selected, its rating out of five applies only to that exact derivative; a model-range review is not inherited. Editorial ratings are separate from the Specification Evidence Index out of 100 and are not customer ratings.

Toyota Starlet Cross

1.5 XR CVT

Hagalu editorial rating Not yet rated

No complete editorial rating is published for this exact variant. This is not a zero score.

How Hagalu rates cars

Toyota Yaris

1.5 XR CVT

Hagalu editorial rating Not yet rated

No complete editorial rating is published for this exact variant. This is not a zero score.

How Hagalu rates cars

Not yet rated means a complete review is not published; it does not mean the vehicle scored zero. Read the rating methodology.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Starlet Cross

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Efficiency Published Practicality
Specification evidence leader

Yaris

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

Which One's Right for You?

Starlet Cross

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Yaris

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

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 Starlet Cross Yaris
Model Introduced Year 2022 2020
Generation First generation Starlet Cross for SA market Current generation on Toyota's TNGA-B platform
Facelift History Introduced to SA in 2022 as a Starlet-based crossover Regular updates with improved safety and features
Facelift Launched Since 2022 2021
Facelift Version Ending Current 2024
Body Style SUV Hatchback
Color Note White Pearl, Silver Metallic, Black, Blue, Red Not confirmed
Dealer Stock Note Top grade in the South Africa lineup Not confirmed
Model Year 2026 2021
Production Status active discontinued
Segment SUV Hatchback
Tare Mass Kg 1080 kg 1110 kg
Vehicle Type SUV Hatchback
Spec Starlet Cross Yaris
Length 4055 mm 4180 mm
Width 1740 mm 1745 mm
Height 1575 mm 1500 mm
Wheelbase 2520 mm 2550 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 185 mm 160 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 125 mm 125 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 42 l 42 l
Boot/Cargo Space 270 l 286 l
Kerb Weight 1080 kg 1110 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 1480 kg 1515 kg
Payload Capacity 400 kg 405 kg
Towing Capacity 1600 kg 1600 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows 2 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.1 m 5.1 m
Front Headroom 991 mm 991 mm
Rear Headroom 940 mm 940 mm
Front Legroom 1039 mm 1039 mm
Rear Legroom 881 mm 881 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

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

Performance index: Starlet Cross 34 vs Yaris 37.

Efficiency index: Starlet Cross 70 vs Yaris 61.

Safety-equipment index: Starlet Cross 70 vs Yaris 98.

Practicality index: Starlet Cross 55 vs Yaris 53.

Ownership-cover index: Starlet Cross 43 vs Yaris 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.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

Yaris leads by 5 points

Starlet Cross and Yaris are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 59 /100
Lead 5 points
Data 90% source coverage
59
#1 Evidence leader

Yaris

90% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 98 Check Performance 37
Performance 37
Efficiency 61
Safety 98
Practicality 53
Ownership 43
Leads by 5 points
54
#2

Starlet Cross

87% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Efficiency 70 Check Performance 34
Performance 34
Efficiency 70
Safety 70
Practicality 55
Ownership 43
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Yaris +3 Efficiency Starlet Cross +9 Safety Yaris +28 Practicality Starlet Cross +2 Ownership Level

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Yaris

Performance 37/100
Efficiency 61/100
Safety 98/100
Practicality 53/100
Ownership 43/100

Starlet Cross

Performance 34/100
Efficiency 70/100
Safety 70/100
Practicality 55/100
Ownership 43/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Toyota Yaris leads the specification evidence index with 59 pts vs 54 pts for Starlet Cross

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Yaris leads. However, Starlet Cross may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Starlet Cross vs Yaris questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa 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.