Toyota Rumion will launch in the coming days and is essentially the rebadged version of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga; to be powered by a 1.5L mild hybrid petrol engine
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) unveiled the Rumion less than two weeks ago in the domestic market and it will go on sale before the end of this month. The customer bookings will begin soon and the deliveries will commence next month. The Toyota Rumion is the rebadged version of the best-selling MPV in the country, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga.
The Rumion has been on sale in countries like South Africa for quite a while now and the India-spec version will be similar to the SA variant. The seven-seater MPV will compete against the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, some variants of the Kia Carens and the Maruti Suzuki XL6, which is a slightly more premium take on the Ertiga with a middle-row captain seating arrangement.
The MPV is the latest model spawned out of Toyota’s partnership with Suzuki and only a few weeks ago, the badge-engineered version of the Toyota Innova Hycross was launched under the Maruti Suzuki Invicto banner. The Rumion helps in consolidating the Japanese brand’s MPV portfolio as the Innova Crysta, Innova Hycross and the flagship Vellfire are already popular.
The new generation Vellfire was introduced in India early this month. Compared to the Ertiga, the Toyota Rumion gets minor visual revisions such as a different bumper, newly designed two-tone alloy wheels, updated fog lamp housing and a redesigned front grille. The features list mimics that of the Ertiga as expected.
It comes with a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, automatic climate control, four airbags, anti-lock brakes with EBD, ESP (Electronic Stability Program), steering wheel with mounted controls, a semi-digital instrument console, Arkamys-sourced audio system, adjustable headrests, etc.
As for the performance, the 1.5L four-cylinder mild hybrid K15C petrol engine will be utilised in a similar fashion to the Ertiga. It develops a maximum power output of 103 hp and 137 Nm of peak torque and is paired with a five-speed manual or a six-speed AT. A CNG variant will also be available. Expect the prices to hover around Rs. 8.99 lakh to Rs. 13.30 lakh (ex-showroom)