Lovert Mafukure
THERE has been a tremendous shift in car preferences from larger to smaller cars that offer better fuel economy. Yesteryear it was everybody’s thing to buy a seven-seater or a large sedan. The fuel crisis had a lot of people parking their cars and opting to catch the bus or look for smaller cars.
There is a car that is as much a fuel saver as it is almost executive. There is a car that carries the Toyota badge with pride.
It is one of the best small cars you can buy for everyday commuting. It is the Toyota Belta, small, comfy, chic and everything you need in a small car. First impressions say it’s a lady’s car but nobody is going to crucify you for driving it if you are a man.
The Toyota Belta replaced the Toyota Platz which was sister to the old Toyota Vitz just as the Belta is sister to the Vitz that came after the first model. The Belta was first introduced into the Japanese Market in 2005 after the Platz Production ended.
Belta was the name used in Japan for this model but export models had other names like Yaris for Africa for example. Other countries like the Phillipines had the same model as the Toyota Vios. Basically it is the same car but with different names and sometimes slightly different trims.
The Belta comes with quite a number of engine options, the 1-litre 3-cylinder 1kr, 1,3-litre 2sz-fe/2nz-fe and 1,5litre 1nz-fe.
The 1kr-fe is a very small 70hp engine that cannot take much of a beating. It’s fragile and needs drivers to behave like there’s Miss Daisy in the back.
The 1,3-litre 2sz has an extra 10hp which is quite decent but the model that you really want to get is the 1,5-litre 1nz with a cool 100hp. It won’t take you to the moon but it sure won’t struggle as the smaller engines do.
It offers good fuel economy and pleasurable highway driving. The smaller engines work well for local errands and aren’t made for high speeds and long journeys.
Beltas were offered 4-speed automatic transmission or a 5-speed manual gearbox. The later models were equipped with the CVT gearbox.
Some may say that Toyota came late for the party but Toyota knows exactly what they were doing. Toyota started using CVT technology almost a decade after Nissan and Honda had already started using it.
I’d like to believe that even though CVT technology is a bit weak and doesn’t have a direct feel to the accelerator pedal, Toyota waited to try and perfect it.
In common fashion for CVT cars, you get the CVT transmission on the front-wheel drive Belta with a 2sz engine then 4 speed automatic in four-wheel drive with a 2nz engine. They do that because CVT transmission cannot endure too much strain that would come with a four wheel drive car.
The Belta is made on the same production line as the 2005 model Toyota Vitz which is bigger, bolder and not as tiny as it’s older brother.
They both share similar interior with a centralised instrument cluster which is rather plain.
Later models come with keyless entry and keyless start, a good gesture for those people who like the finer things in life or who do not really like pressing buttons or plugging in keys into keyholes.
When it comes to exterior looks, the Belta definitely is a big hit and a big improvement from the Toyota Platz. Safety improvements are many for such a small car, it’s got front airbags, side impact airbags as well as curtain airbags.
Not all models have these though but the ones that have do make this car a car to have as it comes with luxuries usually reserved for bigger and more expensive cars.
Apart from the nice looks, the Belta has more niceties to offer your pocket. The claimed mileage per litre is 22km/l for the 1-litre engine and 19km/l for the 1,3l. These are claimed figures by the manufacturer but you know what they say, apples don’t fall too far from the tree — you possibly get nearly that good mileage with the Belta.
There’s the car to look out for, a car with tested reliability and carries the trusted brand. This is the car that will take you to Mars and back on a single tank of fuel. I know I said it won’t take you to the moon but it sure will take you to Mars. It can carry four passengers with ease and it comes with a boot that can fit all of your wife’s luggage . . . Get it! Till next time. Happy motoring!
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