Toyota Urban Cruiser launch delayed: Maruti Vitara Brezza rival might be launched in festive season

The Toyota Urban Cruiser (reported to be the name of the car) will be based on the Brezza as per the agreement between Suzuki and Toyota. It will have the same 1.5-litre petrol engine from the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza.

Image of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza used for reference.

Toyota’s entry into the compact SUV segment might be delayed a bit. While the brand was likely to launch the Toyota Urban Cruiser SUV in the Indian market in a couple of months, we might have to wait a tad longer. The dispatches of the Urban Cruiser, as per sources, still hasn’t happened from Maruti Suzuki. A few Toyota dealers we interacted with, confirmed that the Urban Cruiser still hasn’t reached dealerships. In fact, only new Toyota Glanza cars were dispatched to the dealerships last month. Maruti Suzuki which recently commenced production of its cars in a phased manner is reportedly unable to meet the demand generated by Arena, and Nexa customers. The Toyota Urban Cruiser goes directly to the Toyota dealerships with the relevant modifications that distinguish it from the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza.

The Toyota Urban Cruiser, unlike the Glanza, will have several distinguishing traits from the Brezza. It is likely, apart from the badge on the grille, there will be other slight changes. Moreover, the cabin too will be slightly different and Toyota might have asked for a bit more features or variations. Add to that Toyota’s three year and unlimited-kilometre warranty and the Urban Cruiser will further distinguish itself from the donor Brezza.

As far as the powertrain is concerned, the engine will be a 1.5-litre petrol unit that makes 103hp of power and 138Nm. A 5-speed manual transmission will be standard while a 4-speed auto will be optional. Given that the Brezza has the hybrid tech only on the automatic, to distinguish itself, the Toyota might offer it even on the manual. This will not only give it bragging rights but also allow for a better fuel efficiency number (claimed). Furthermore, as we’ve seen with the Baleno-Glanza pricing, the Urban Cruiser might be priced lower than the Vitara Brezza. Toyota in the name of cost-effective pricing is known to absorb costs. The Toyota Urban Cruiser will be sold in mid and top variants as we have observed with the Glanza. Hence a starting price of Rs 8.5 lakh shouldn’t be far off. We expect to hear officially from Toyota on their Urban Cruiser plans by the end of this month.

PS: The name Urban Cruiser hasn’t been revealed by Toyota yet but since it was registered, it is widely assumed that this badge will stick.

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