The new Toyota Urban Cruiser is bound to make swift sales in SA
Murali Naidu
In 2021, the Toyota Urban Cruiser was launched in South Africa. It marked significant sales achievements thanks to its excellent practicality and competitive pricing; now, it's been revised, and one could suspect another good run for Toyota in the sales department for their new Urban Cruiser.
Exterior-wise, the honeycomb grille blends seamlessly with the sleek LED daytime running headlights along with the lower-placed headlamps; the overall silhouette is quite attractive; towards the sides, it has black body cladding, 17-inch black wheels and a boxy and well-rounded off-rear.
A notable aspect of the new model is its increased ground clearance, rising from 195mm to 210mm. It also has a considerable size enhancement, measuring from 3,995mm to 4,365mm in length.
The XR four-speed automatic variant costs R369,000, and our test unit had a few additional features. The cabin was well-apportioned with some hard and solid plastics but still had an excellent and premium feel. You get a few amenities in the XR specs, like a 7-inch infotainment system compatible with Android Auto and Wireless Apple CarPlay, automatic air conditioning, multiple USB ports and a reverse camera.
Standard features include six airbags, and interestingly, the Urban Cruiser has an NCAP safety rating of 4 out of 5; you also get ABS brakes, climate control, and an infotainment system.
The car has a 1.5l naturally-aspirated petrol motor, making 77kW power and 138Nm torque. The four-speed auto transmission and front-wheel drive contribute to its claimed top speed of 170km/h.
It's not the quickest SUV in the market, but it does the job. It's mated to a 4-speed automatic gearbox, which I wasn't too pleased with. Instead, I would opt for the manual; I think one would get much more engagement and control with the manual variant and have a better, unfussed driving experience.
The Urban Cruiser was pleasant on simple freeway driving, with a commendable fuel efficiency of 6.4/100km. Claimed consumption is 6.1l/100km. Overall, the cabin was well-insulated and was a lovely space to be in.
The Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR automatic is praised for its practicality, price, and fuel economy. It is projected to be another successful model for Toyota in the compact crossover market.
Ownership costs include a 3-year /100,000km warranty and a 4-year/60,000km service plan, with a price tag of R369,000.
