Toyota's new Urban Cruiser, the top offering in the 'B' segment, surpasses its predecessor in size thanks to consumers transitioning from hatchbacks to crossovers.
Toyota's India plant builds the new Urban Cruiser, and it's common knowledge that it shares many similarities with the recently revealed Suzuki Grand Vitara. However, Toyota took charge of much of the actual design work.
New and bigger Toyota Urban Cruiser
In this collaborative effort, Toyota implemented noticeable changes to the front end. The bi-halogen projector headlamps are now positioned lower in the face, inset within the bumper, and framed with a chrome bezel.
Moreover, the new Urban Cruiser showcases a large lower grille aperture with a honeycomb design and a silver ornamental skid plate. Above that, the clamshell bonnet incorporates design cues seen on the RAV4 and Fortuner.
The body length has grown by 370 mm, accompanied by a corresponding increase in wheelbase of 100 mm (now 2,600 mm). It is slightly wider and taller than its predecessor, and the improved ground clearance is now 210 mm compared to the previous 195 mm.
Toyota Urban Cruiser interior
The XR variant stands out with squared-off wheel arches, silver roof rails, colour-matched mirrors and door handles, and chunky mouldings on the rocker panels and wheel arches. On the other hand, the XS model features high-gloss, black lattice-design 17-inch alloys, while the XR has 17-inch steel wheels with turbine-inspired wheel covers.
The interior of the new Urban Cruiser has undergone significant updates. It boasts a completely redesigned dashboard with a 7-inch infotainment screen that supports Android Auto and offers wireless Apple CarPlay compatibility.
The audio plays through two speakers in the XS and four in the XR while Bluetooth-enabled telephony is manageable via switches on the small-diameter multi-function steering wheel, which now includes tilt and telescopic adjustment options for the first time.
Toyota Urban Cruiser load area
Convenient features include Push Start with Smart Entry, rear parking distance control (PDC), height-adjustable driver's seat, power-folding side mirrors, reverse camera, and automatic air conditioning.
Under the hood, the Urban Cruiser houses a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine that produces 77 kW and 138 Nm of torque. It pairs with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission (XR), with Toyota claiming an overall fuel consumption of 6.1 l/100 km.
The suspension system consists of MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear, and all models come standard with Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Hill Assist Control (HAC).
XR models feature side and curtain airbags in addition to the standard driver and passenger airbags. Anti-lock braking with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), ISOFIX child seat anchors, and an alarm/immobilizer system are standard features across the entire range.
Toyota Urban Cruiser back
All Urban Cruiser models now include a 4-year/60,000 km service plan with a 3-year/100,000 km warranty. Service intervals are set at 12 months/15,000 km.
Pricing:
• Urban Cruiser 1.5 XS MT: R 329,400
• Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR MT: R 347,400
• Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR AT: R 369,900
