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I spend time with the Toyota Urban Cruiser.

Quick Facts

  • Price: From R247,900
  • Engine: 1.5-litre-petrol
  • Power/Torque: 77kW/138nm
  • Transmission: 5-Speed Manual or 4-Speed Auto
  • Tested: 5-speed Manual Xr model

The Toyota family expanded on the 8th of March when they launched their Toyota Urban Cruiser, a product that sees the brand working with the Suzuki brand. As you have probably read on my press news, The Urban Cruiser is exactly like the Vitara Brezza. This time around, I drove the 5-speed manual in the form of a Toyota, and off the bat, it is a stunning drive.

A lot of the issues I had with the 4-speed auto immediately solved. Don’t get me wrong, there a countless of people who prefer the 4-speed auto and that is okay. I preferred the 5-speed manual simply because it is engaging to drive. The ability to change gears on my own is a huge factor especially in such a car, overtaking is bliss and fuel consumption ever lower than the claimed figures. And that’s it really, a perfect drive I had in the Toyota Urban Cruiser Xr 5-speed manual.

In terms of looks, my test unit was dressed in the burnt orange bi-tone colour and in my opinion, this is the best-looking colour in the range. If you thought that there are no differences between the Vitara Brezza and the Toyota Urban Cruiser then you are wrong. Most of the changes lie upfront, with the Toyota Urban Cruiser taking on a grille that is the same as the SUVs at the Toyota stable. There is minimal chrome unlike in the Vitara Brezza with the only chrome coming at the rear where the Urban Cruiser nameplate is housed.

While the Toyota Urban Cruiser base model might be slightly more expensive than the Vitara Brezza, it is worth noting that the entry-level Urban Cruiser comes with LED headlamps and DRLs as standard, making it better looking than the entry-level Vitara Brezza, the entry-level Toyota Urban cruiser also receives a push-button start as well as keyless entry making it a slightly better product.

The Urban Cruiser also gains the Toyota Connect telematics system as standard, which includes onboard Wi-Fi (with 15GB of complimentary data) as well as various e-services.

Verdict - While I drove the Suzuki Vitara Brezza, I think that the Toyota Urban Cruiser will sell slightly more than the Suzuki Vitara Brezza, I am basing this on the fact that the Urban Cruiser has come in with slightly more options for the entry-level model as opposed the Vitara Brezza, the LED headlights, and LED DRLs on the Urban Cruiser will definitely give it a better appeal as opposed to the entry-level Vitara Brezza. The other win is that the Toyota Urban Cruiser will also come with the Toyota Connect & MyToyota App (a telematics system that includes an in-car Wi-Fi hotspot and complimentary 15Gb data. Once linked to their profile, customers can manage their vehicle via the MyToyota App. This intuitive app allows on-demand service bookings, vehicle information and history, tracking data as well as Toyota Connect data recharge services and much more. ) and lastly, the Toyota nameplate which is loved in South Africa, the increased dealer network and of course the better resale value.

It is also worth noting that the Urban Cruiser has a 3-services/45 000 km service plan and a 3-year/100 000 km warranty while the Vitara Brezza has a 4-year 60 000kms service plan as well as a 5-year 200 000kms warranty.

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