Toyota has gone about transforming its so-called ‘small car’ line-up over the past six months, with the introduction of the Agya, the Suzuki Baleno-based Starlet and now the Urban Cruiser, which is also based on the recently introduced Suzuki Vitara Brezza.
As one of the most important vehicle segments within the local automotive sector, Toyota anticipates that it will sell around 640 units of the Urban Cruiser each month, meaning that it will take a considerable chunk of the B-SUV segment should its prediction be correct. Let us take a look as some of the details surrounding the newcomer.
Styling
There is no denying the Suzuki Vitara Brezza-shaped elephant in the room when approaching the Urban Cruiser. From an exterior design perspective, the Urban Cruiser looks almost identical to the Vitara Brezza on which it is based. Its compact crossover silhouette and mild off-road-ready appearance means that as a B-segment contender, those in the market for the likes of the Ford EcoSport, the Renault Captur and the Honda WR-V to name a few, will find the Urban Cruiser appealing.
With wheel arch extensions, black plastic side skirts, roof rails, front and rear skid plates as well as the option of two-tone paintwork, the ‘baby’ Cruiser should appeal to a more youthful market versus the other Cruiser models within the line-up.
Interior and space
All Urban Cruiser models come with front and a rear electric windows, rear Park Distance Control, LED headlights, cloth upholstery, electrically adjustable mirrors, keyless entry and start, a multi-function steering wheel, airconditioning and a colour screen display that offers smartphone functionality, including Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, voice command, Bluetooth, and USB functionality. From a practicality perspective, the Urban Cruiser offers 328-litres of boot space along with a split-folding rear seat, seating for five and a braked towing capacity of 1 100kg
Under the bonnet
There is just one engine within the Urban Cruiser range, a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated motor that produces 77kW and 138Nm of torque, allowing for a claimed fuel consumption figure of 6.2 L/100km and a top speed of 165km/h for the automatic and 170km/h for the manual models. There are two gearbox options, a 5-speed manual as well as a 4-speed torque converter automatic.
Safety
Since the Urban Cruiser is based on the Suzuki Vitara Brezza, the latter’s crash test applies to the Toyota too. Global NCAP subjected the Vitara Brezza to its crash test evaluation in 2018 where it achieved an admirable 4-stars, including an impressive 4-Stars for adult occupant safety and a less impressive 2-Stars for child occupant safety. As standard, the Urban Cruiser comes with 2 airbags, ABS with EBD/BAS and ISOFIX child seats anchor point on the outer side of the rear seats.
Verdict
Our first drive impression is set to take place during the first week of April 2021, where we will have a better idea of what the Urban Cruiser is like on the road. What we can surmise right now is that Toyota now has a well-specified and competitively priced contender in one of the fastest-growing automotive segments, which should ensure that the product is a sales success, perhaps to the detriment of the Vitara Brezza.
Service plan and warranty
The Urban Cruiser range comes with a 3-service/45 000km service plan as well as a 3-year/100 000km warranty, with service intervals pegged at 15 000km.
Pricing
Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 Xi R 247 900
Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 XS R 267 800
Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 XS auto R 289 000
Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR R 294 500
Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR auto R 315 700
