Riding on its wave of popularity with its predecessor selling some 1000+ units per month consistently, the new Toyota Urban Cruiser has arrived in South Africa. Its larger, its better kitted and its surprisingly very similarly priced to that of its outgoing predecessor, so is it still the value proposition?
In Short
YES
In terms of pricing, the Urban Cruiser 1.5 XS kicks off the range at R329 400, while upgrading to the 1.5 XR pushes the price to R347 400. Finally, the self-shifting range-topper - badged as the 1.5 XR AT - comes in at R369 900.
Price aside, the new Urban Cruiser, or as it is known in India Toyota Hyrider, offers impressive styling, interior space, and technological advances.
Standard features for the Urban Cruiser 1.5 XS include keyless entry (and push-button start), a touchscreen infotainment system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), automatic air-conditioning, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, tilt & telescopic adjustment for the steering column, LED daytime running lights, bi-halogen headlamps, LED taillights, and 17-inch steel wheels. Safety is covered by dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, hill-assist control, electronic stability control, and IsoFix child-seat anchors at the rear.
What about the drive?
The local range comprises 3 front-wheel-drive derivatives, each powered by Suzuki’s familiar K15B naturally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol-driven motor with 77 kW and 138 Nm. Transmission choices again include a 5-speed manual gearbox and a 4-speed torque-converter automatic (claimed combined fuel economy figure is 6.1 litres per 100 km, regardless of the specified transmission).
Power delivery is smooth in the auto for traffic and general driving, while the 5-speed manual offers more shove and a more engaging drive. Overall, the power delivery and road manners very much are in keeping with the model and its market onset.
Space has grown as has the overall more angular 210mm higher riding body. With this comes a bigger body length, and a more spacious 353-litre boot with its standard 60/40 split rear folding seats.
The interior looks and feels the part within both the entry XS and higher XR trim levels. The main notable differences between the two being, The XR grade adds items such as cruise control, an extra 2 speakers (for a total of 4), the option of 2-tone paint (including black side-mirror caps), black roof rails, 17-inch alloys, and side and curtain airbags.
In Conclusion
The Urban Cruiser has a proven track record owing to its affordable "ticks all the boxes" proposition. This new model builds on this ethos while adding more purposeful styling, improved space, and a further inclusive package. Finally, Toyota has always been about peace of mind ownership, and of course, the Urban Cruiser is sold with a standard with a 3-year/100 000 km warranty and a 4-service/60 000 km service plan offered through the auto marques impressive and large dealer network.
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