KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- The Urban Cruiser EV gets two battery pack options; 49kWh and 61kWh.
- It gets both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options.
- The platform is shared with the e Vitara.
- The 2700mm wheelbase is the same as the e Vitara's.
There was always going to be a Toyota-derivative of the Maruti e Vitara, and it has finally been revealed. The Toyota Urban Cruiser EV is also one of the results of Suzuki and Toyota's EV partnership. Much like the e Vitara, Toyota is also likely to bring in the Urban Cruiser EV soon after Maruti Suzuki launches the e Vitara.
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Toyota Urban Cruiser EV: Finer Details
Styling-wise, the Urban Cruiser EV differentiates itself from the e Vitara rather well from the front. However, anyone with car sense will figure out the similarities from the side profile and the rear. Toyota has also notably added more cladding to the Urban Cruiser EV's body. Its dimensions are also nearly identical to the e Vitara's, with the same 2700mm wheelbase. However, in terms of length, the Urban Cruiser EV is about 10mm longer, with an overall length of 4285mm.
The profile of the Urban Cruiser EV continues with the hidden rear door handle, and it gets the option of either 18-inch or 19-inch wheels; larger than most of its rivals. Similarly, the tailgate also features a full-length strip connecting the tail lights.
Things are familiar underneath as well. The Urban Cruiser EV bears the same Heartect-e platform jointly developed with Suzuki. Buyers will get the option of both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. As for the battery packs, the Urban Cruiser EV will also get two options; a 49kWh unit and a 61kWh unit.
The 49kWh battery pack comes with a singular electric motor placed on the front axle; there will be no all-wheel drive option for variants with this battery pack. The motor is rated to produce 144bhp and 189Nm of torque.
The 61kWh battery unit will feature a front-wheel drive version and an all-wheel drive version as well. In its FWD guise, the 61kWh battery pack comes with 171.6bhp, while the torque remains the same as the 49kWh battery pack unit. Meanwhile in its AWD guise, the dual electric motor setup on the 61kWh battery variants produces 181bhp and 300Nm of torque.
In terms of equipment, the Urban Cruiser EV will come with a fixed sunroof, power-adjustable driver's seat, a JBL sound system, a blended screen setup for the 10.25-inch digital cluster and the 10.1-inch infotainment touch screen, and a 360-degree camera. It will also receive an ADAS suite with pre-collision system, adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert and lane keep assist. The FWD version also comes with a 'snow mode' to tackle slippery conditions.
In terms of price and rivals, the Urban Cruiser EV will compete against the Tata Curvv EV, Hyundai Creta EV, the upcoming Mahindra XUV700 EV, MG ZS EV, and Maruti Suzuki's e Vitara.
Verdict
The Urban Cruiser EV and the e Vitara are the results of Suzuki and Toyota's EV partnership, and more such born-electric cars are expected to come out of this partnership in the near future. With both car makers being rather late entrants in the EV segment, their performance will be interesting to see.
