Maruti Suzuki Celerio to be rebadged and sold as Toyota Vitz in South Africa

Maruti Suzuki Celerio is set to be rebadged and sold as Toyota Vitz in South Africa as a part of the Toyota-Suzuki global partnership. Toyota Vitz was recently unveiled in South Africa at Toyota’s State of the Motor Industry event in Johannesburg. The hatchback is expected to launch in South Africa later this year.

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Toyota Vitz will be arriving in South Africa in the second quarter of 2023

The Toyota Vitz resembles the Maruti Suzuki Celerio in every aspect. Both cars have similar dimensions of 3,695 x1,655 x 1,555 mm and a wheelbase of 2,435 mm. The only cosmetic change on the Vitz is the Toyota branding across the vehicle. There will be no mechanical changes on the Vitz either, as it will be powered by the same K10C 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine as the Celerio. This engine unit produces a peak power output of 66hp and 89Nm peak torque.

No changes are expected on the interior as well, as the Toyota Vitz will get the 7.0-inch SmartPlay Studio floating touchscreen infotainment system. The infotainment system also features the support of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims will get some exclusive features like a push start/stop button, keyless entry, steering-mounted controls and height-adjustable driver seats. Safety features include dual airbags and ABS as standard while the AMT variants get hill-hold assist.

The Vitz is the fourth Maruti Suzuki model that has been rebadged by Toyota for overseas markets. Previously the automaker rebadged the Baleno as Starlet (Glanza in India), Ertiga as Rumion, and Ciaz as Toyota Belta. In India, Toyota co-produces The Urban Cruiser HyRyder along with Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara.

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Conclusion

The Toyota-Suzuki partnership is expected to spawn new Toyota products in India as well, as Toyota plans to launch offshoots of Ertiga and the recently unveiled Maruti Suzuki Fronx. Maruti will also be coming out with an MPV based on the recently launched Toyota Innova HyCross.

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