Toyota Urban Cruiser is expected to launch in the coming months with a 1.5-litre SHVS petrol engine with manual and automatic transmission options
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) discontinued the Etios, Liva and Corolla Altis with the advent of the BSVI emission standards from the beginning of this month. The Japanese manufacturer only has the Glanza and Yaris in the accessible volume space and thus another compact model is definitely the order of the day.
The partnership between Toyota and Suzuki is definitely flourishing and new vehicles are in the pipeline. The next rebadged vehicle supplied by Maruti Suzuki for Toyota will more likely be a compact SUV based on the Vitara Brezza. It is expected to launch in the coming months and we do know what it could be christened as.
Toyota has trademarked the ‘Urban Cruiser’ name mentioning ‘automobiles and structural goods thereof’ in the goods and services description. It stands in line with the historic SUV lineage the brand possesses under the Land Cruiser nameplate. Going by the Glanza premium hatchback, the Toyota Urban Cruiser may come with minor exterior changes like new grille and replacement of Suzuki badge with that of Toyota.
The overall upright stance, pillars and roofline of traditional SUVs found in the Vitara Brezza will indeed be retained. The Urban Cruiser will likely be based on the facelifted Vitara Brezza, which was introduced at the 2020 Auto Expo in February.
The interior will also replicate the Vitara Brezza and thus the latest touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto alongside cloud-based functions will be available. Since the Vitara Brezza sits on the Global C platform unlike the latest crop of lightweight Heartect based Maruti Suzuki vehicles, the Urban Cruiser will be high on safety as well.
The Vitara Brezza is one of the safest compact SUVs out there with four-star Global NCAP crash test ratings. As for the performance, the Urban Cruiser will borrow the 1.5-litre four-cylinder K15B petrol engine from its donor producing 104.7 PS and 138 Nm of peak torque.
It is mated to a five-speed manual and a four-speed torque converter automatic transmission in the Vitara Brezza. Expect the Toyota Urban Cruiser to be priced close to the Vitara Brezza and the brand could offer attractive warranty and other schemes as in the Glanza to make it more appealing than its donor.