Toyota Teases Urban Cruiser

In HotWheels
August 8, 2020
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A cheaper compact crossover from Toyota is on the way…

Toyota is set to revive a crossover nameplate which is unfamiliar to South Africans but could become a big deal.

The Japanese car giant has teased its new Urban Cruiser on social media and although the name will have little resonance with South Africans, it could be perfect for local conditions.

Toyota’s original Urban Cruiser debuted back in 2008, before compact crossovers were a popular vehicle segment. It was based on the Yaris hatchback and it proved to be rather unsuccessful.

This new Urban Cruiser has been specifically developed for the Indian market and that means it would be graded for South African road conditions and fuel quality too.

Whereas the first-generation Urban Cruiser was very much a Toyota, this new one is not. As the global automotive industry consolidates, partnerships are a new reality. And with the Urban Cruiser, Toyota has teamed up with Suzuki, a brand which has a massive presence in India.

The Suzuki Vitara Brezza is what this new Urban Cruiser is based upon. That means it should be slightly under 4m in length and offer a 1.5-litre petrol engine option. This four-cylinder engine is good for 77kW and 138Nm, driving the front wheels via either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox.

What is particularly handy about the Urban Cruiser using Suzuki’s Vitara Brezza platform, is the 198 mm ground clearance value. That should give it more than adequate gravel travel ability and also good pothole strike survivability, both ride and handling features which are of potentially great benefit to South African drivers.

Although Toyota has not yet revealed the official images or confirmed exact technical speciation for the Urban Cruiser, the social media tease means that all of this, should happen soon.

As always, we will keep you updated as soon as the Toyota Urban Cruiser is fully revealed.

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