With teaser image, Toyota has confirmed to enter in the sub-4 meter SUV segment in the country. The company has officially revealed the nameplate of the compact SUV, which is called the Toyota Urban Cruiser. The new model is likely to be launched in our market in the next few days (August-September 2020).
The Urban Cruiser will be the brand’s second product under the new Toyota-Suzuki JV in India. It is basically the re-badged version of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. The Toyota Glanza (based on the Maruti Suzuki Baleno) was the first model from the Toyota-Suzuki partnership. The new teaser also reveals the front Toyota grille.
With this SUV, Toyota will enter into the highly competitive sub-4 meter category dominated by Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and the Hyundai Venue. The SUV will also rival the likes of the Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport and the soon-to-be-launched Kia Sonet. The teaser shows that the SUV is fitted with a Toyota Fortuner-inspired dual-chrome slat grille with Toyota logo in the center.
It is expected that the new Toyota Urban Cruiser will receive some design changes in the form of new bumper, revised headlamps, new alloys and different paint scheme. However, the overall styling and silhouette will remain the same. The Toyota Urban Cruiser will be powered by a 1.5-litre K-Series petrol engine with SHVS mild-hybrid technology. This engine is capable of producing 103bhp of power and 138Nm of torque. Transmission choices will include a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed torque convertor automatic.
The interior will remain the same, except for the brighter colour scheme and new upholstery. In terms of features, the SUV will offer a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic AC, projector headlamps with LED DRLs, etc. It is expected that Toyota will introduce the new SUV in top-end variants only.
