Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Breaks Cover As A Muscular Compact SUV

• Muscular looks with beefy bonnet, Glanza-inspired grille, 17-inch alloy wheels, and wraparound tail lamps.

• Loaded with features such as a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment unit, panoramic sunroof, head-up display, connected car tech, and wireless phone charger.

• Offered with segment-first 1.5-litre petrol strong-hybrid engine alongside a 1.5-litre mild-hybrid engine.

• Segment-first all-wheel drive for the mild-hybrid engine.

• Will also get a Maruti Suzuki twin, with both the SUVs built on a Suzuki platform.

• Launch likely in September at prices starting from Rs 10.5 lakh.

After a long period of teasers, the covers are finally off. Toyota has unleashed the Urban Cruiser Hyryder, which will take on the compact SUV segment, will be built on a Suzuki architecture and is expected to be launched in India by September with a lot of firsts. Official bookings are now open online and at authorised dealerships at a token amount of Rs 25,000.

First impressions suggest Toyota’s entry into the compact SUV segment will be with a bit of muscle. By that we mean a prominent bonnet. Going further down, the massive air dams are Glanza-inspired, complemented by split LED DRLs that are connected via a chrome strip. 17-inch alloy wheels aside, at the rear we’re treated to nicely wrapped tail lamps with a chrome strip connecting the C-shaped LED light guides on either side.

Up to seven monotone colours will be on offer, namely Cave Black, Sportin Red, Speedy Blue, Enticing Silver, Cafe White, Gaming Grey, and Midnight Black. You can also spec a dual-tone black roof on the Cafe White, Sportin Red, Enticing Silver and Speedy Blue body shades.

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

Muscular on the outside, the SUV looks just as posh once you enter the cabin due to soft-touch materials on the dashboard. That’s complemented with a dual-tone chocolate brown-black theme, as well as splashes of silver/chrome all over.  

Along with that premium feel also comes a raft of features  including a 360-degree camera, 9-inch Suzuki touchscreen infotainment system, ventilated leather seats, ambient lighting, connected car tech, Google and Siri voice assistance, automatic climate control as well as a wireless phone charger, head-up display and a panoramic sunroof. For further personalization, there will be over 66 accessories on offer.  

Safety will be taken care of by six airbags, ABS with EBD, VSC, cruise control, hill hold and descent control, rear 3-point seatbelts and all-wheel disc brakes.

 

The big party trick, however, is under the bonnet where there's a lot of firsts for this segment. One of which is the option of a 1.5-litre strong hybrid being offered alongside a 1.5-litre petrol mild-hybrid motor. The other ‘first’ will be an all-wheel drivetrain for the mild-hybrid engine, while the strong hybrid option will utilise a front-wheel drivetrain and is targeted to achive fuel efficiency figures up to 28kmpl. The mild-hybrid will be offered in the E, S, G, and V trims whereas the strong hybrid can be specced with the S,G and V trims.

Here’s a detailed look at the specifications and the gearboxes of the SUV:

The Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder will also have a Maruti Suzuki twin, which will show up in the near future. The former’s production will commence in August at Toyota’s Bidadi plant in Karnataka with over 90 percent localisation of parts. Expect prices to start from Rs 9.5 lakh (ex-showroom). It will rival the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, VW Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, and the MG Astor.