Toyota Kirloskar Motor is planning to launch a new sedan in India, based on Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, as a replacement for the slow-selling Yaris
Japanese carmaker Toyota is planning to replace the Yaris in the Indian market with a new sedan. This new vehicle will be a rebadged version of Maruti’s Ciaz, just like the Glanza (rebadged Maruti Baleno) and Urban Cruiser (rebadged Vitara Brezza). This new sedan is expected to christened ‘Belta’, as Toyota had recently filed trademark for this name in India.
Here, we have discussed five things that we know about the soon-to-launch Toyota Belta, ranging from its design to technical specifications.
1. Exterior
As stated earlier, the upcoming Toyota Belta will be a rebadged version of the Maruti Ciaz. The exterior design of the former will be largely the same as the latter, with only a few changes here and there. We expect these changes to be limited to a new front grille and different logos.
2. Interior
Similar to the exterior design, the interior styling will also be the same as Maruti Ciaz, but with different badges of course. The features and equipment on offer will be the same as well, like a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), electrically adjustable and auto-folding ORVMs, automatic climate control with rear AC vents, cruise control, keyless entry, push-button start/stop, etc.
3. Powertrain
The upcoming Toyota Belta will be powered by a 1.5-litre, naturally aspirated, inline-4 petrol engine, the same as the Ciaz. This powerplant will belt out a peak power of 105 PS and a maximum torque of 138 Nm, and SHVS mild-hybrid system will be available as standard. Transmission options will include a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic gearbox.
4. Expected Price
The current price of Maruti Ciaz ranges from Rs. 8.52 lakh to Rs. 11.50 lakh. We expect Toyota to skip the base variant (of the Ciaz) with the Belta, just like it did with the Glanza and Urban Cruiser. As such, the Belta will likely be priced somewhere between Rs. 9.3 lakh and Rs. 11.5 lakh.
5. Expected launch date
Toyota hasn’t made any official announcements yet, but as per speculations, the Belta will launch in the Indian market in the next few months. Apart from Maruti Ciaz, the upcoming Toyota sedan will rival the likes of Honda City, Hyundai Verna, etc.
All prices mentioned are ex-showroom, New Delhi