Toyota has revealed a teaser image of the brand’s upcoming compact SUV and confirmed that the Japanese manufacturers first-ever compact SUV in the Indian market will be christened the ‘Urban Cruiser’. The Toyota Urban Cruiser is scheduled for its debut in the festive season before the end of CY 2020.
Toyota has joined hands with the Indo-Japanese manufacturer Maruti Suzuki in India and from the strategic partnership, through which Toyota will sell rebadge Maruti Suzuki cars in India such as the Toyota Glanza which is a Maruti Suzuki Baleno. Under the alliance, the latter is also expected to receive Hybrid technology from Toyota, under the alliance.
It is being speculated that the Toyota Urban Cruiser is the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza which is a popular compact SUV in the Maruti Suzuki product portfolio in India. The compact SUV doesn’t boast features such as a 4X4 drivetrain but gets rugged features such as claddings on the bumper, high ground clearance, short overhangs, side claddings etc., but would not do technical terrains or slushy road where a four-wheel drive is required.
Maruti Suzuki in India launched the Vitara Brezza with a BS6 compliant K15B series, 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 105 Hp of power and 138 Nm of torque matched to either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed automatic transmission. The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza measures 3995 mm in length, 1790 mm in width, 1640 mm in height with a wheelbase of 2500 mm.
In terms of styling, Toyota might make light changes to the Maruti Suzuki Urban Cruiser compact SUV. these changes are expected to be cosmetic in nature. The brand might make changes to the front fascia, its grille, bumpers and maybe the alloy wheels. But rest of the equipment and the interiors are expected to carry forward from the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza.
The Urban Cruiser badge could have drawn its inspiration from Toyota ‘Land cruiser’ which is one of the greatest names synonymous with luxury offroading. The brand is speculated to launch a ‘Final Edition’ model of the ‘Land Cruiser’ in the BS6 avatar to bid a final goodbye.