Toyota Urban Cruiser Electric SUV Makes First Public Appearance, Coming To India Next Week
The Japanese automotive giant Toyota Motor Corporation has finally showcased its newest electric SUV – the Urban Cruiser Electric. Its first official public debut took place at the Brussels Motor Show. This EV SUV, based on the Maruti Suzuki e Vitara, will be officially launched later this year. The Urban Cruiser Electric is Toyota’s second all-electric vehicle. For those who may not be aware, the first one is the bZ4X, which is sold in international markets.
Toyota Urban Cruiser Electric: Details
Toyota, along with its long-term strategic partner Maruti Suzuki, has developed the Urban Electric SUV for global markets. This compact electric SUV is based on Suzuki’s new Heartect-e architecture. It has been built from the ground up, and it is a born electric platform.
Dimensionally, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Electric SUV and the e Vitara both measure 4,275 mm in length, 1,800 mm in width, and 1,635 mm in height. They also offer a 2,700 mm wheelbase. Additionally, the ground clearance of 180 mm is quite decent.
Design
In terms of the exterior design, both SUVs look very different on the outside. The Toyota Urban Cruiser Electric SUV boasts a simple yet functional front fascia. It gets sleek traditional LED headlights with LED DRLs in the front and a chunky chrome strip. It also gets a black closed-off grille in the middle, and the front bumper is also very simple.
Moving on to the side profile, the vehicle gets a set of 19-inch aeroblade-style alloy wheels. There will also be optional 18-inch alloy wheels on offer. Apart from these, the cladding on the sides is also chunky, which adds a rugged appearance to this electric SUV. It gets traditional pull-type door handles on the front, and the rear door handles are hidden in the C-pillar.
As for the rear-end design, Toyota has once again kept things simple and uncluttered. It gets a connected LED taillight and a simple-looking tailgate. The rear bumper is also very rugged as it boasts a massive matte black portion with a skid plate at the bottom. Overall, the Urban Cruiser Electric looks very simple yet rugged.
Interior Design
Coming to the interior of the Toyota Urban Cruiser Electric SUV, it gets the exact same cabin as the Maruti Suzuki e Vitara. The main highlight of this cabin is the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which has been housed in the same casing as the 10.1-inch digital instrument gauge cluster for the driver.
It also gets vertical AC vents, automatic climate control, a rotary dial in the center console, and a two-spoke steering wheel with controls for the infotainment screen as well as the digital instrument gauge cluster. As for features, it will come with ADAS Level 2, connected apps, an electric parking brake, a sunroof, and a JBL sound system.
Powertrain Options
Toyota and Maruti Suzuki are sharing the electric platform. This is why the Toyota Urban Cruiser Electric will also be offered with two battery pack options. The first is a 49 kWh battery pack, and the other is a 61 kWh unit. There will be multiple variants of this SUV. The base variant will be powered by a front-mounted motor that will make 144 bhp and 189 Nm of torque, paired with the 49 kWh battery pack.
Then there will be the middle variant, which will come with a 172 bhp and 189 Nm producing front-mounted electric motor. There will also be an all-wheel-drive version on offer. The all-wheel-drive model will get two electric motors – one on each axle – and make 182 bhp and 300 Nm. The range of the vehicle will be around 500 km (top-spec variants).