Toyota South Africa recently introduced its latest compact SUV, the Urban Cruiser into the market. Now, if you are looking at it and thinking that it looks very similar to that of the Suzuki Vitara Brezza that was also recently launched then you will be correct. The Toyota forms part of the product sharing deal between them and Suzuki, following on from the Baleno and Starlet. So, what does the Urban Cruiser have to offer?
For starters the Urban Cruiser has been designed to play in the city during weekdays, while taking you to your next adventure on the weekend. The Urban Cruiser features rugged urban styling replete with a raised stance, textured side- and wheel-arch mouldings and bumper guards. The front features a large radiator grille with two horizontal slats and centrally-mounted Toyota insignia – these are flanked by chrome accent strips and LED projector headlamps which are standard across the range.
Moving to the rear, large rectangular taillights are complemented by a large tailgate garnish embossed with “Urban Cruiser”. Echoing the front, the lower apron is finished in textured black with a silver ‘diffuser’ section.
The cabin offers a comfortable space characterised by excellent ergonomics and optimised exterior visibility. The upper fascia houses the large touchscreen infotainment system and ventilation outlets with an elegant piano-black frame. The lower section incorporates the climate control switchgear, a storage compartment and power/USB outlets.
The black fabric seats feature a honeycomb pattern, with the rest of the interior finished off in hard-wearing black, featuring a textured pattern. Large door pockets, glove compartment and additional oddment binnacles provide convenient storage spaces.
As for practicality, the Urban Cruiser features a large rear tailgate which has been designed to accommodate a large aperture – to make loading items easier. In addition, the luggage capacity of 328 litres can further be expanded by the folding rear seats. It also features a towing capacity of 400kg unbraked and 1100kg braked, which ramps up the utility factor.
The Urban Cruiser is powered by 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine delivering 77kW and 138Nm. Fuel consumption is registered at a frugal 6.2 litres per 100km. Top speed is 170 km/h. Buyers have the option of a 5-speed manual transmission or 4-speed automatic (depending on grade chosen) – all driving the front wheels.
The safety and security specs include ABS and EBD, side protection beams, driver and passenger airbags and ISOFIX. An alarm and immobiliser system is also included on all models.
Model line-up & Pricing
- Urban Cruiser 1.5 Xi MT – R 247 900
- Urban Cruiser 1.5 Xs MT – R 267 800
- Urban Cruiser 1.5 Xs AT – R 289 000
- Urban Cruiser 1.5 Xr MT – R 294 500
- Urban Cruiser 1.5 Xr AT – R 315 700
