Toyota Kirloskar Motor recently teased its upcoming subcompact crossover, Urban Cruiser
Under the partnership with Maruti Suzuki India Limited, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (or Toyota India) is almost ready to launch its all-new sub-four-metre subcompact crossover (or “compact SUV”) dubbed Urban Cruiser. The new Toyota Urban Cruiser is essentially a badge-engineered Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. It follows the Toyota Glanza (rebadged Maruti Suzuki Baleno) sub-four-metre supermini or “premium hatchback”.
Maruti Suzuki has a strong portfolio in the affordable segment while Toyota has quite a few desirable choices higher up on the price ladder. In the future, we might be able to see premium Maruti Suzuki products based on existing Toyota sedans and crossovers. In the global market, Suzuki has already unveiled the 2021MY ACross compact crossover SUV (rebadged Toyota RAV4).
Speculative Render
Coming back to the new Toyota Urban Cruiser, the Japanese automaker has released an early teaser. Even though it reveals minimal details, one can expect the vehicle to come with just a revised grille layout and different badging compared to the latest Vitara Brezza BS6 facelift (priced from Rs 7.34 lakh ex-showroom). Even its alloy wheels are the familiar 16-inch diamond-cut 5-spoke units.
There is nothing much to note about the overall styling. Key details include LED projector headlamps, dual-tone paint scheme, chrome inserts, etc. In general, the Urban Cruiser will pack features such as a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, powered ORVMs, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, push-button start, climate control, height-adjustable driver seat, cruise control, 60:40 split rear seat alongside basic safety equipment.
Over the months, there were rumours that Toyota Kirloskar Motor would take extra effort to make the Urban Cruiser look reasonably different from its donor’s shell. It appears that the final result follows the same badge-job approach done on the Toyota Glanza. Internals or mechanicals carry no difference (hence no major road tests) and market-ready units might reach dealerships even before the official unveiling. This had happened during the Toyota Glanza’s launch.
Engine & Specs
Powering the all-new 2020MY Toyota Urban Cruiser is a BS6-compliant 1.5-litre K15B four-cylinder NA petrol engine. It generates 103bhp @ 6,000rpm and 138Nm @ 4,400rpm while mated to either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. In BS4 era, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza was available only with a 1.3-litre DDiS diesel four-cylinder good for 88.5bhp @ 4,000rpm and 200Nm @ 1,750rpm. It was coupled to a 5-speed manual or AMT.
