Wraps coming off Toyota Urban Cruiser on 23 September

Toyota’s unveiling of the Urban Cruiser, which was supposed to have taken place last month, has now been confirmed for 23 September in spite of several details being open secrets.

The second model after the Baleno-based Glanza to benefit from the marque’s partnership with Maruti Suzuki in India, the mini Fortuner styled Urban Cruiser is based on the top-selling Vitara Brezza and apart from the new face, is otherwise identical both inside and underneath the bonnet.

In total, the Urban Cruiser will have a choice of three trim grades; Mid, High and Premium with motivation set to come from the familiar 1.5 K15B petrol engine that produces 77kW/138Nm. Drive is sent to the front wheels only via a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox, with Suzuki’s mild-hybrid Smart Hybrid Vehicle system being optional on the self-shifter.

Despite being fundamentally identical, the Urban Cruiser is set to be more expensive with a reported starting price of Rs 850 000 (R189 233) compared to the Brezza’s Rs 734 000 (R163 408) sticker. While Toyota has confirmed that it will be offering the Glanza in South Africa under the revived Starlet name from later this month, the Urban Cruiser, for now, has not been given the go-ahead for introduction. If approved, expect it to slot-in below the C-HR as the Toyota’s most accessible SUV.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.