Whilst its bread and butter products, the Innova and Fortuner bring in wholesome margins, Toyota demands a lot more inexpensive vehicles to bring in volumes and drive vendor viability. Catering to these reduced segments also provides in prospective buyers earlier into the Toyota fold and assists the model penetrate deeper into the hinterland. With the Company Ordinary Fuel Performance (CAFE) norms due in 2022, Toyota demands more compact vehicles in its fleet to attain these targets.
It even so has not had considerably achievement in these reduced segments and so the Japanese big has picked as an alternative to now connect with on its world-wide alliance with Suzuki Motor Company. In 2019, Toyota re-entered the hatchback phase in India with the Glanza, a rebadged Maruti Baleno, and now for its maiden entry into the compact SUV space its the moment again absent to Suzuki. This time although taking issues a bit further more with the facelifted Brezza, which it calls the Urban Cruiser.
The Urban Cruiser has a distinctive identity when seen head-on.
How diverse is the Urban Cruiser from the Brezza?
Toyota has redesigned the entrance of the Urban Cruiser to give it a distinctive identity alternatively cleverly. Whilst the headlamps and bonnet are shared with the Vitara Brezza, its entrance grille seems to be like it has been lifted off a Fortuner, and the styling of its fog lamp housings in the bumper will make it unmistakably a Toyota on initially impact. And carrying a ‘Spunky Blue’ paint shade, this Toyota will come throughout as just one handsome SUV. Its boxy side profile even so is similar to the Maruti, and it is difficult to convey to them aside help you save for their respective model logos on the wheel hub caps. At the rear also the modifications are small. Logos apart, the chrome bar higher than the variety plate housing reads Urban Cruiser, and even the cladding on the bumper is diverse. Curiously, the Toyota seems a bit raised in contrast to the Maruti from the back again.
The badges are all that mark Toyota and Maruti’s compact SUVs aside from the side and rear.
What is it like on the within?
The interiors of the Urban Cruiser are similar to the Brezza’s, and the only improve listed here is the color of the seats and the cloth inserts on the doorway pads which are brown, in contrast to the Brezza’s gray. What’s awesome is that, just like the Maruti’s, the entrance seats are comfortable, you’re seated in a superior SUV-like posture, and the ergonomics are location on. And whilst the layout is realistic with a number of storage parts, the total dashboard structure seems a bit dated, and the complete and high quality of plastics, never really feel as premium as its Korean rivals.
You might be seated superior in the Urban Cruiser’s entrance seats.
House at the rear is fantastic also with sufficient knee and head place even for tall passengers, and due to the superior-established seat, acquiring in and out is quite quick, even for the aged. The seat alone is comfortable and there are a great deal of storage parts like doorway pockets, seatback pockets, cupholders in the armrest, and even a luggage hook integrated in the entrance seat. What is lacking even so, are rear AC vents and a charging provision. At 328-litres the boot is pretty huge and the rear seat can even be folded 60:forty to carry a lot more cargo.
You can find sufficient space at the rear and acquiring in and out is quick also.
Unlike the Brezza the Toyota will come in only larger trims and has devices like automated LED headlamps, LED fog lamps, 16-inch wheels, rain-sensing wipers, cruise manage, seven-inch touchscreen with Android and Apple connectivity, local climate manage and a cooled glovebox. In contrast to rivals even so, it misses kit like a sunroof, air purifier and linked automobile functions as very well as protection kit like ESP, hill-hold (obtainable in automated), side and curtain airbags, and traction manage. And whilst on the subject matter of protection, the automobile which is it primarily based on, the Maruti Brezza, has been crash tested by World NCAP and has secured a respectable four star protection rating, although this does not translate to the same rating for the Urban Cruiser supplied the new entrance close.
seven.-inch touchscreen will get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility.
What is it like to drive?
Run by a 1.5-litre petrol four-cylinder normally aspirated engine, shared with the Brezza, the Urban Cruiser doesn’t qualify for the sub-four-metre tax sops, due to its greater engine ability. But this petrol engine retains a distinctive edge in contrast to its more compact ability turbo petrol rivals when it will come to on-tap responses. Whilst ambling about town in a larger equipment, place your foot down, and there’s plenty of grunt to pull forward and near in the gaps in visitors. It feels quite zippy about town and does its commuter responsibilities quite very well. And the mild, very well-judged clutch, clean 5-velocity gearbox and mild steering insert to the simplicity of driving.
Like in the Brezza, this 1.5-litre petrol unit will make 105hp and 138Nm of torque.
Spin this motor quicker and the mid-assortment efficiency is pretty flat, and you are going to miss the potent surge you’d get in a turbo-petrol SUV. With its short gearing and crisp throttle responses even so, the drivability as very well as its freeway efficiency is quite respectable. In a sprint to 100kph, the Urban Cruiser is neck and neck with the a lot more strong 120hp Hyundai Venue turbo, and it is even quicker than the Hyundai from twenty-80kph in 3rd equipment by a comprehensive second.
It feels zippy about town and its freeway efficiency is respectable also.
This petrol engine is silent and vibration cost-free, but whilst cruising at 100kph in fifth equipment, it is quite audible as it is spinning at three,000rpm, operating a large amount more challenging than rivals which have six gears. Also at freeway speeds, you can hear a large amount of road and tyre noise.
With tricky underpinnings, this isn’t a automobile that’ll plead you to sluggish down at the sight of terrible roadways. The way it flattens the road and drives with a perception of maturity, does give it an edge about some of its rivals. Managing is quite predictable also, even so, for keen motorists its steering feels a bit also mild and it isn’t as sharp and as immediate as the Ford Ecosport or the Tata Nexon.
Street and tyre noise do filter in at freeway speeds.
Should I buy just one?
Priced about Rs 5,000-15,000 about a equivalent Vitara Brezza, the Toyota Urban Cross doesn’t get pleasure from a price tag edge about the Maruti, even so, prospective prospective buyers will obtain worth in its for a longer period three yr/1,00,000 km regular warranty – in contrast to Maruti’s two yr/forty,000km interval – as very well as perhaps a improved service encounter. For some, there will also be the entice of the Toyota badge and all this topped onto the roomy and comfortable interiors, consumer pleasant package deal and the fantastic ride mean this is just one compact SUV you just can’t go mistaken with.
The Urban Cruiser expenses Rs 5,000-15,000 a lot more than the Brezza but will come with a for a longer period regular warranty.
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