LISTEN: Toyota Urban Cruiser, Suzuki Grand Vitara’s paths split

The Toyota Urban Cruiser and Suzuki Grand Vitara might share a platform, but the two have taken different routes.

In this week’s Pitstop podcast, The Citizen Motoring’s Jaco van der Merwe, Mark Jones and Charl Bosch analyse where the two cars’ positioning in the local market.

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Neither the new Toyota Urban Cruiser or Grand Vitara are replacements for the outgoing Urban Cruiser and Vitara Brezza respectively.

But as was the case with the previous Urban Cruiser and Vitara Brezza, they ride on a similar platform. One that was developed by Suzuki, with the car being built by Toyota in India in accordance with the partnership between the two carmakers.

But this time Toyota and Suzuki have chosen different paths of presenting their latest shared model in South Africa. Where Suzuki is usually the more affordable with other joint products, this time it is the other way around.

Urban Cruiser more affordable

Like before, Toyota is offering the Urban Cruiser as a more affordable SUV option to the Corolla Cross, a crossover SUV. As the Corolla Cross range starts at R392 900, Toyota has kept its three-model Cruiser line-up between R329 400 and R369 900.

Suzuki on the other hand has opted to position the Grand Vitara slightly higher in the food chain as there was more room to manoeuvre under the Vitara, which starts at R438 900.

ALSO READ: Suzuki banks on rich heritage for new Grand Vitara

Grand Vitara better specced

Pricing for the Grand Vitara starts at R339 900 and goes up the R417 900 for the four models sharing the 77 kW/138 Nm 1.5-litre powertrain with it’s Toyota production twin. Comparatively, these models have higher specification levels than the Urban Cruiser.

The range’s flagship, which is the first local Suzuki with a mild-hybrid powertrain, comes in at R529 900. Also featuring all-wheel drive, the Grand Vitara Hybrid GLX AllGrip is the most expensive Suzuki in Mzansi.

The Toyota Urban Cruiser range does not offer the mild-hybrid or all-wheel drive. The most affordable hybrid option is the Corolla Cross Hybrid XS at R458 300. To get all-wheel drive, the most affordable Toyota SUV is the RAV GX-R AWD at R678 300.

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