2020 Toyota Urban Cruiser review

Whereas its bread and butter fashions, the Innova and Fortuner usher in wholesome margins, Toyota wants extra inexpensive vehicles to herald volumes and drive vendor viability. Catering to those decrease segments additionally brings in patrons earlier into the Toyota fold and helps the model penetrate deeper into the hinterland. With the Company Common Gas Effectivity (CAFE) norms due in 2022, Toyota wants smaller vehicles in its fleet to realize these targets.

It nevertheless has not had a lot success in these decrease segments and thus the Japanese big has chosen as an alternative to now name on its world alliance with Suzuki Motor Company. In 2019, Toyota re-entered the hatchback phase in India with the Glanza, a rebadged Maruti Baleno, and now for its maiden entry into the compact SUV house its as soon as once more gone to Suzuki. This time although taking issues a bit additional with the facelifted Brezza, which it calls the City Cruiser.

The City Cruiser has a definite id when considered head-on.

How completely different is the City Cruiser from the Brezza?

Toyota has redesigned the entrance of the City Cruiser to provide it a definite id slightly cleverly. Whereas the headlamps and bonnet are shared with the Vitara Brezza, its entrance grille appears prefer it has been lifted off a Fortuner, and the styling of its fog lamp housings within the bumper makes it unmistakably a Toyota on first impression. And carrying a ‘Spunky Blue’ paint shade, this Toyota comes throughout as one good-looking SUV. Its boxy facet profile nevertheless is equivalent to the Maruti, and it’s troublesome to inform them aside save for his or her respective model logos on the wheel hub caps. On the rear too the modifications are minimal. Logos apart, the chrome bar above the quantity plate housing reads City Cruiser, and even the cladding on the bumper is completely different. Curiously, the Toyota seems a bit raised in comparison with the Maruti from the again.

The badges are all that mark Toyota and Maruti’s compact SUVs aside from the facet and rear.

What’s it like on the within?

The interiors of the City Cruiser are equivalent to the Brezza’s, and the one change right here is the color of the seats and the material inserts on the door pads that are brown, in comparison with the Brezza’s gray. What’s good is that, similar to the Maruti’s, the entrance seats are comfy, you’re seated in a excessive SUV-like place, and the ergonomics are spot on. And whereas the format is sensible with a number of storage areas, the general dashboard design seems a bit dated, and the end and high quality of plastics, don’t really feel as premium as its Korean rivals.

You are seated excessive within the City Cruiser’s entrance seats.

House on the rear is sweet too with ample knee and head room even for tall passengers, and because of the high-set seat, getting out and in could be very simple, even for the aged. The seat itself is comfy and there are many storage areas like door pockets, seatback pockets, cupholders within the armrest, and even a baggage hook built-in within the entrance seat. What’s lacking nevertheless, are rear AC vents and a charging provision. At 328-litres the boot is kind of huge and the rear seat may even be folded 60:40 to hold extra cargo.

There’s ample house on the rear and getting out and in is straightforward too.

In contrast to the Brezza the Toyota is available in solely larger trims and has tools like automated LED headlamps, LED fog lamps, 16-inch wheels, rain-sensing wipers, cruise management, 7-inch touchscreen with Android and Apple connectivity, local weather management and a cooled glovebox. In comparison with rivals nevertheless, it misses package like a sunroof, air air purifier and related automotive options in addition to security package like ESP, hill-hold (out there in automated), facet and curtain airbags, and traction management. And whereas on the subject of security, the automotive which is it primarily based on, the Maruti Brezza, has been crash examined by World NCAP and has secured a decent 4 star security score, although this doesn’t translate to the identical score for the City Cruiser given the brand new entrance finish.

7.0-inch touchscreen will get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility.

What’s it wish to drive?

Powered by a 1.5-litre petrol four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine, shared with the Brezza, the City Cruiser doesn’t qualify for the sub-four-metre tax sops, attributable to its bigger engine capability. However this petrol engine holds a definite benefit in comparison with its smaller capability turbo petrol rivals with regards to on-tap responses. Whereas ambling round city in the next gear, put your foot down, and there’s sufficient grunt to tug ahead and shut within the gaps in visitors. It feels fairly zippy round city and does its commuter duties very effectively. And the sunshine, well-judged clutch, clean 5-speed gearbox and lightweight steering add to the convenience of driving.

Like within the Brezza, this 1.5-litre petrol unit makes 105hp and 138Nm of torque.

Spin this motor quicker and the mid-range efficiency is kind of flat, and also you’ll miss the robust surge you’d get in a turbo-petrol SUV. With its brief gearing and crisp throttle responses nevertheless, the drivability in addition to its freeway efficiency could be very respectable. In a dash to 100kph, the City Cruiser is neck and neck with the extra highly effective 120hp Hyundai Venue turbo, and it’s even faster than the Hyundai from 20-80kph in third gear by a full second.

It feels zippy round city and its freeway efficiency is respectable too.

This petrol engine is silent and vibration free, however whereas cruising at 100kph in fifth gear, it’s pretty audible as it’s spinning at 3,000rpm, working lots more durable than rivals which have six gears. Additionally at freeway speeds, you possibly can hear a number of highway and tyre noise.

With powerful underpinnings, this isn’t a automotive that’ll plead you to decelerate on the sight of unhealthy roads. The way in which it flattens the highway and drives with a way of maturity, does give it an edge over a few of its rivals. Dealing with could be very predictable too, nevertheless, for eager drivers its steering feels a bit too mild and it isn’t as sharp and as direct because the Ford Ecosport or the Tata Nexon.

Street and tyre noise do filter in at freeway speeds.

Ought to I purchase one?

Priced round Rs 5,000-15,000 over a comparable Vitara Brezza, the Toyota City Cross doesn’t take pleasure in a value benefit over the Maruti, nevertheless, potential patrons will discover worth in its longer 3 12 months/1,00,000 km normal guarantee – in comparison with Maruti’s 2 12 months/40,000km interval – in addition to probably a greater service expertise. For some, there can even be the lure of the Toyota badge and all this topped onto the spacious and cozy interiors, person pleasant bundle and the nice experience imply that is one compact SUV you possibly can’t go flawed with.