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“It suits you,” yelped a friend of mine from her car window, while cruising in traffic. “Yours?” I managed to lip-read; just before we slowed down and approached the same robot intersection.
“No,” I answered, “but with any luck, I’d like to own one soon.”
And that’s the truth!
I fell in love with...
...the drive
On paper, the tiny 1-litre engine may not parade much power, but do not let that fool you.
Because while it lacks on the race track and long road, it makes up for when simply needing to zip from point A to point B.
Light clutch, smooth gears (with a nifty shift indicator, so you know when it’s time to change), good handling and parking that’s a breeze...
Seriously? There’s not much more that one actually needs!
...the fuel-efficiency
Winning! Honestly speaking, of all the cars I’ve ever had the opportunity to drive; this one consumed the least amount of petrol. And I wasn’t even gentle. Or slow.
...the comfort
With only three doors (well, two plus a medium-sized boot), it’s not a prime example of what a mommy mobile should look and feel like. But, as a childless woman, student or young professional’s get-around car, the cheeky 5-seater provides more than enough space and legroom.
..the extras
The XR is the flagship of the 1.0 range and sports a very edgy persona.
Along with the standard not-too-basic kit of colour-coded bumpers, rear fog lamps, power-steering, central locking, six-speaker sound system with radio/CD/MP3/USB and iPod functionality, it also includes - among other things - a built-in touchscreen audio display, Bluetooth, aircon, tinted windows AND an outdoor temperature reading.
Safety
Like many of today's newer cars, the XR boasts a seat belt warning buzzer, an impact-sensing fuel cut, an ISO-FIX child restraint system, immobiliser, ABS, EBD and seven airbags.
It’s also comforting to know that it achieved a five-star rating in 2011's Euro NCAP crash tests.
Price
At first, the starting price of just over R120K for the 3-dr range sounds a tad bit ridonkulous. But, after a little contemplation, you realise that it is justified - this is, after all, Toyota: manufacturer to some of the world’s most reliable cars.
“No,” I answered, “but with any luck, I’d like to own one soon.”
And that’s the truth!
I fell in love with...
...the drive
On paper, the tiny 1-litre engine may not parade much power, but do not let that fool you.
Because while it lacks on the race track and long road, it makes up for when simply needing to zip from point A to point B.
Light clutch, smooth gears (with a nifty shift indicator, so you know when it’s time to change), good handling and parking that’s a breeze...
Seriously? There’s not much more that one actually needs!
...the fuel-efficiency
Winning! Honestly speaking, of all the cars I’ve ever had the opportunity to drive; this one consumed the least amount of petrol. And I wasn’t even gentle. Or slow.
...the comfort
With only three doors (well, two plus a medium-sized boot), it’s not a prime example of what a mommy mobile should look and feel like. But, as a childless woman, student or young professional’s get-around car, the cheeky 5-seater provides more than enough space and legroom.
..the extras
The XR is the flagship of the 1.0 range and sports a very edgy persona.
Along with the standard not-too-basic kit of colour-coded bumpers, rear fog lamps, power-steering, central locking, six-speaker sound system with radio/CD/MP3/USB and iPod functionality, it also includes - among other things - a built-in touchscreen audio display, Bluetooth, aircon, tinted windows AND an outdoor temperature reading.
Safety
Like many of today's newer cars, the XR boasts a seat belt warning buzzer, an impact-sensing fuel cut, an ISO-FIX child restraint system, immobiliser, ABS, EBD and seven airbags.
It’s also comforting to know that it achieved a five-star rating in 2011's Euro NCAP crash tests.
Price
At first, the starting price of just over R120K for the 3-dr range sounds a tad bit ridonkulous. But, after a little contemplation, you realise that it is justified - this is, after all, Toyota: manufacturer to some of the world’s most reliable cars.
