New car retailer ‘Drive in Style’ opens for business

A new car retailer,‘Drive in Style’ started its operation in Sri Lanka with a launch event held in January 2018 at Grand Monarch, Thalawathugoda. 

Drive-in-Style is a provider of unique and value-for-money car models from different automobile markets around the world. The vision of Drive in Style is to become the most reliable automobile partner, providing unique vehicles according to customer requirements, from different automobile markets around the world, as well as related services and products such as car accessories and spare parts.

Two car models were ceremonially introduced to mark the occasion, namely, Toyota Yaris ATIV, a new model from Toyota Thailand’s domestic model range and Suzuki Celerio, afully automatic car from Suzuki Thailand’sdomestic model range.

The latest and stylish Toyota Yaris ATIV is powered by Toyota’s 1.2-litre 3NR-FE four-cylinder engine that produces 86 PS at 6,000 rpm and 108 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. This new and elegant eco-car, the Yaris ATIV can achieve a fuel economy of 20 kilometres per litre.  The engine is paired to a CVT automatic, which it shares with the Yaris hatchback. The ATIV’s CVT unit is very candid and simple which includes pseudo ‘manual’ mode with seven ratios. Five variantsare on offer, starting from Rs. 6.4million for the ‘J Eco’ variant, through to Rs 7.49million for the ‘S’ variant, as well as another three packages namely J, E, G. 

The ATIV is offered with an improved infotainment system, auto air-con, LED DRLs and keyless entry. It features a curvier and aggressive overall look. In front, a larger lower grill dominates the front fascia which are then complemented by the upswept headlights with LED light guiding,horizontal LED DRLs, and 15-inch alloy wheels. Fog lights are integrated as part of the large grill. Moving towards the side, it sees more character lines. As for the rear, the Yaris ATIV has a unique set of tail lights which are significantly longer than predecessor Vios.

Inside the Yaris ATIV, one feels right at home. Fabric seats come standard on all variants, with few colour choices. The range topper S comes equipped with a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment with DVD player, 6-speaker audio setup, automatic air-conditioning,Optitron instrumental panel with 4.2-inch multi-info display and keyless entry and start, auto lights and some aesthetic highlights such as leather door trim, shift knob and steering wheel.

For safety, the Yaris ATIV comes with seven airbags, VSC, traction control, hill start assist, and ABS with EBD All these features come standard on all variants of the B-segment sedan, making sure occupants are always safe and gives it tremendous value against the competition. Safety and driver assistance features of the Toyota Yaris ATIV include parking sensors (rear), reverse camera, BA, VSC, TRC and HAC. Thus the Yaris ATIV is the only car in its segment to offer seven airbags.

The second car was the Thailand version of the Suzuki Celerio, which gets a CVT gear box/fully automatic transmission instead of the automated manual transmission (AMT) offered in India and Sri Lanka currently. The CVT gearbox is mated to the same 1.0-litre K-Series engine found on the Indian version, producing 67 HP at 6000 RPM and 90 Nm at 3500 RPM. The Celerio in Thailand qualifies as an Eco Car, and it also provides smooth power delivery to give a comfortable drive at a very realistic price.

Wide-ranging warranty is offered for cars that are sold by Drive in Style and facility can be obtain from listed services outlets around the country along with 24-hour convenient breakdown services.