Maruti Suzuki and Toyota Kirloskar have decided to launch cars in a partnership that will see almost identical cars with different badging being released in India. They did it with the Baleno and Glanza with the front grille being the only thing differentiating them and of course the company’s badge. The urban cruiser was teased by Toyota for a long time and finally, people can get their hands on it. But sadly, it is nothing but a Vitara Brezza.
Booking of Toyota’s crossover, Urban Cruiser commences from 22nd August at a token price of Rs 11,000 and no matter how hard we try we can’t be excited about it. Toyota claims that it won’t be the same car but from what it looks, they are just bluffing. It does get some cosmetic changes like the front headlamps and front grille which is said to be inspired by Toyota’s SUVs like the Fortuner and Land Cruiser but other than that its the SAME!
Talking about the powertrain, it gets the Suzuki 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, which produces 105hp and 138Nm of peak torque, will be on offer with 5-speed manual and 4-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox options. The mild-hybrid tech that improves fuel-economy will also be available with the Urban Cruiser automatic. Come on Toyota, you are better than that.
The feature list is also identical. The top-spec Urban Cruiser variant will come with LED projector headlights, LED DRLs, 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, auto wipers, cruise control, a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, keyless entry and go and automatic climate control. In terms of safety kit, dual-front airbags, ABS and rear parking sensors will be standard across the range. Perhaps the only difference in the interior is that while the Vitara gets a black and grey layout, the Urban Cruiser will get a dual-tone dark brown finish.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this honestly boring launch is the pricing. Toyota has been cheeky with the Glanza by undercutting the Baleno and it will likely do the same with the Urban Cruiser. Prices will be quite competitive and in the end, if you care about a brown dash go for the Urban Cruiser and if you care about a black dash go for the Vitara Brezza.
