Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder vs Rivals: Specifications Compared

Toyota will enter the hotly contested compact SUV segment with the Urban Cruiser Hyryder and aims to take the top spot by offering the car with a segment-first strong-hybrid power unit and mild-hybrid all-wheel drive powertrain option. But, things ain’t easy for the Toyota SUV as it needs to take on established competitors from Korean and European brands.

In this report, we pitch the Hyryder against its rivals for a detailed on-paper comparison. Let the games begin. 

Dimensions

• The Toyota Hyryder is the longest while the Astor is the widest and tallest of this bunch. 

• Skoda and Volkswagen’s offerings have the smallest footprint here, but they boast the longest wheelbase. 

• It’s the MG Astor that has the shortest wheelbase of the lot. 

• The Creta and Seltos occupy the middle ground when it comes to overall dimensions. 

Features Onboard 

All the cars have their bases covered with all the important and necessary features one would need as illustrated in the table above. So let’s get to the matter of the important features they don’t get:

• Despite being such a well-equipped car, the Astor misses on two important features: wireless phone charging and ventilated front seats. 

• The Hyryder and the European twins miss out on powered front seats, which would be useful to find the perfect driving position. 

• Skoda, VW, and MG also don’t get reclining rear seat backrest and all three miss out on rear sunblinds as well. 

Safety Features 

• All models here can be had with up to six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, traction control, hill-hold control, and a tyre pressure monitor. 

• The Astor goes a step ahead and packs a full ADAS suite in its top variant. 

• When it comes to parking, all models get rear parking sensors and a camera, but only the Hyryder, Seltos, and Astor get a 360-degree camera. 

• The Seltos is the only one to offer front parking sensors. 

Base Petrol Engine 

• The Toyota Hyryder gets a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine. But, it puts out the least amount of power on paper when compared to rivals with similar displacement. That said, it’s the only one to get mild-hybrid tech and optional all-wheel drive. 

• The VW Group products might be having the smallest unit here, but thanks to turbocharging, they are the most torquiest. 

• The base engines in all models offer you a choice of manual and automatic transmissions, but, do note that MG and Toyota give you only a 5-speed manual instead of a 6-speed unit found in its rivals. 

Top Petrol Engine

• The Toyota Hyryder is the only one in its segment to have a strong-hybrid option, meaning it will deliver much higher fuel efficiency compared with its rivals. Toyota is projecting an average efficiency in the range of 26-28kmpl! 

• That said, its power figures, even when combined, don't match the segment-leading numbers the Taigun and Kushaq boast. 

• The MG Astor’s higher-end engine might be the smallest, but it still matches up to the Hyundai’s and Kia’s second-best engine output. 

• All models get an automatic transmission, but it’s the Seltos, Kushaq, and Taigun that offer you a choice of a manual transmission if you intend to have some fun. 

Price And Verdict

The Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder is one of the larger models in its segment, gets a host of premium features, and even has two potent petrol engine options. If priced well, it will have all the attributes of a compact SUV to take on the top dogs, which are currently the Korean twins.