Introduction
We have seen many premium self-charging hybrid vehicles from Toyota in the past. This time, with the carmaker's focus on the more affordable segment, it has unveiled the new Urban Cruiser Hyryder. Now, when we say premium vehicles here, the carmaker has the Camry Hybrid and the Vellfire on sale in the Indian market. And to make this hybrid tech more accessible, the manufacturer will soon launch this Urban Cruiser Hyryder, which will be a new entrant into the mid-size SUV segment in India.
Exterior
Firstly, this is not a sub-four metre SUV like the existing Urban Cruiser. In fact, this is a completely new product and hence let's get into its in-depth styling. First up, its fascia features a new grille with a thin chrome insert and a carbon fibre finish extending to its DRLs. This is a split headlamp design with the top unit featuring LED DRLs and the one below housing a projector headlight setup. Then, there's a honeycomb design for the air intakes and a silver-coloured skid plate.
Moving on to the side, you'll see a hybrid badging on the front fender and a blacked-out roof and ORVMs. What's more, the SUV rides on 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels. Further, moving to the rear section, the most prominent highlight here is the C-shaped two-piece LED tail lights. Then, there's a chrome strip above the number plate recess on the tailgate and vertically-stacked reverse and turn indicators on the rear bumper.
Interior
As we mentioned earlier, this is not a sub-four metre SUV, and there's enough space inside with leatherette seats. The fit, finish, and quality of materials for this dual-tone interior theme are good with the dashboard even getting a soft-touch brown-coloured leatherette material. This new Hyryder comes equipped with a freestanding touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also boasts Toyota's connected car technology and comes paired with a 360-degree camera view and reversing sensors. Moreover, there's a Head-Up Display (HUD), a tilt and telescopic steering, cruise control, a digital instrument cluster, and a panoramic sunroof. Toyota is known for its safety features and this one is also equipped with almost everything that the carmaker has to offer, including six airbags, ABS, EBD, TPMS, all three-point seatbelts, all-disc brakes, and more.
Then, there are buttons for the drive modes, wireless charging, and a great addition in the form of ventilated front leatherette seats. The latter even gets three levels of cooling at the press of a button. Other additional features include ambient light, rear USB points, two-step reclining rear-row seats, rear AC vents, and a 60:40 seat split. Now, the boot space is not a very large one, given the electric motor takes up some space. Still, it's quite a usable one with an estimated guess being 250-300 litres of usable space.
Engine and Gearbox
This SUV doesn't get a diesel engine option. However, given the self-charging tech, it has two 1.5-litre petrol engine options. The most interesting bit is that it also gets an all-wheel-drive option, a first in this segment. The Hyryder sources a 1.5-litre K-Series petrol engine from Maruti Suzuki that delivers a power output of 101bhp and 135Nm of torque. With this, a five-speed manual transmission and a six-speed AT will be on offer. This powertrain gets Neo drive grades which are equipped with the highly anticipated AWD.
Furthermore, adding to the options, Toyota's self-charging strong hybrid electric version gets a 1.5-litre engine with THS (Toyota Hybrid System). It comes mated to an e-drive transmission, delivering an engine output of 68kW or 91bhp and torque of 122Nm. Meanwhile, the motor output stands at 59kW or 79bhp and torque of 141Nm. The combined power output is 85kW or 114bhp.
Conclusion
This car promises many firsts, including a strong hybrid electric powertrain. It will be interesting to see if Toyota can price it aggressively in this highly competitive mid-size SUV segment. We expect the ex-showroom prices in India to start from Rs 12 lakh and go all the way up to Rs 20 lakh. As a result, it will rival the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, MG Astor, Volkswagen Taigun, and even the newly launched Mahindra Scorpio-N in the Indian market.
This Hyryder will be manufactured at the carmaker's world-class plant in Karnataka and will also be exported to other countries. Eventually, the new SUV will even help the carmaker in its bid to achieve carbon neutrality, especially with the help of its self-charging variant.
Pictures by Jay Shah
