Toyota Badged Ciaz Likely To Be Called The Belta

While the carmaker has not confirmed a name for the upcoming sedan, a trademark filed by Toyota Motor Corporation suggests it could be named the Belta. It is not the first time Toyota is using the Belta moniker, the carmaker used to sell a compact sedan named Belta globally from 2005 to 2016. It was called the Yaris and Vios in some markets. 

In terms of design, the Toyota Belta is likely to look similar to the Maruti Ciaz save for some minor cosmetic changes. The front grille of the Belta was spied recently and it looked identical to the one seen on the Maruti Ciaz but featured a Toyota badge. Similarly, on the inside, the only visible change will come in the form of a Toyota badge on the steering wheel. Toyota might also introduce a new upholstery on the Belta as we had seen with the Urban Cruiser. 

Under the hood, the Belta will be powered by the same 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine as the Ciaz. It makes 105PS and 138Nm paired to a 5-speed MT and a 4-speed AT. It is also equipped with Maruti’s dual-battery mild hybrid system that offers features like regenerative braking, torque assist and idle start-stop. The Ciaz has a claimed fuel economy of 20.65kmpl and 20.04kmpl for manual and automatic transmissions, respectively. 

The Belta will be identical to the Ciaz on the features front as well. It gets features like auto LED headlamps, alloy wheels, auto-dimming IRVM, cruise control, auto AC with rear AC vents, electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs, push-button start, tilt-adjustable steering, height-adjustable driver’s seat and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Safety features on offer include dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, parking camera and ISOFIX child seat anchors. It also gets hill launch assist and electronic stability program but they are limited to the automatic transmission variants only. 

The Belta is expected to go on sale by August 2021. It is likely to be similarly priced to the Ciaz which retails from Rs 8.52 lakh to Rs 11.50 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). It will take on likes of the Honda City (both 4th and 5th gen models), Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Vento and Skoda Rapid.