Review of the Toyota Vitz for Sale in South Africa

The brand-new Toyota Vitz landed on South Africa’s shores in 2023, ready to take on the highly competitive budget hatchback segment. Read on and enjoy the review of the Toyota Vitz.¹

Despite the recent difficult economic times, new compact car sales have survived well. Surprisingly enough, Toyota has not dominated this segment, with the Renault Kwid taking the lead. But Toyota aims to regain some of the Kwid’s market share, even though the Vitz’s ‘twin’, the Suzuki Celerio, has only managed to capture 5% of the small-car segment. ¹

This budget hatchback enters Toyota’s compact car range below the Starlet. The line-up consists of three derivatives in base and XR trim levels. The 1.0XR comes in the manual and automated manual (automatic) guises. The automatic version is ideal for commuters who need to cope with congested city traffic. ¹

The Vitz has a Suzuki-based, naturally aspirated, 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder engine generating a mere 49 kW power and 89 Nm torque. This doesn’t seem like much, but its low weight of 805 kg compensates for this. ¹

Toyota claims a fuel consumption of 4.4 litres/100 km for the manual transmission Vitz, but this became 4.6 litres/100 km after a strenuous test drive. The test driver suggested though that calmer driving could decrease fuel consumption to the claimed amount. The automatic version consumes even less petrol at a claimed 4.2 litres/100 km. The Vitz’s 32-litre fuel tank gives the 5-speed derivative a theoretical range of 727 km. ¹

The Vitz base trim has all you need, but preferably choose the XR grade. The latter has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, additional audio speakers and a tilt-adjustable steering column. On the outside, the Vitz has 15-inch alloy wheels. ¹

The budget hatchback has two frontal airbags, Electronic Stability Control, ABS brakes, and rear parking sensors. The automatic version has Hill Assist as an extra feature, which prevents the Vitz from rolling backwards when pulling away on an incline. ¹

The 17% loss of power in Gauteng compared to the Vitz’s performance at sea level means the car tends to strain in traffic. At sea level, the Toyota performs spritely using its 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder engine at high revs. The precise 5-speed manual transmission with its friendly clutch makes the Vitz a sheer pleasure to drive in city traffic. ¹

The suspension of the new budget hatchback ensures comfortable driving, while the 15-inch alloy wheels and tyres cope well with South Africa’s poor roads. Steering is not direct, and you’ll experience some body roll when cornering because of the 170-mm ground clearance.¹

The article reviews the Toyota Vitz for sale in South Africa in 2023. ¹

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