Toyota South Africa Motors has confirmed its plans to launch the new Suzuki-based Urban Cruiser in March 2021.
Built in India, the Urban Cruiser small crossover is based on the Suzuki Vitara Brezza, which itself is due to touch down on local soil in February 2021. Unlike the Baleno-based Starlet, though, the Urban Cruiser features exterior styling distinct from that of its Suzuki cousin.
In November 2020, the company confirmed it planned to bolster its local range with an “affordable” new B-segment crossover. And that model is the new Urban Cruiser. Like the Starlet, the new Urban Cruiser will arrive as a product of the “collaborative business agreement” between the two Japanese firms.
Leon Theron, senior-vice president of sales and marketing at Toyota SA Motors, confirmed the news at the State of the Motor Industry 2021 address, which this year was delivered online.
“It’s got great looks, space, sophistication – a really, really nice package. We are very excited that this will do well for us,” Theron said of the small crossover.
While Toyota SA Motors has yet to confirm the SA-spec Urban Cruiser’s powertrain, we strongly suspect it will be Suzuki’s familiar K15B naturally aspirated 1,5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, delivering some 77 kW and 138 N.m to the front axle (as used by the aforementioned Brezza).
The Urban Cruiser measures 3 995 mm long, 1 790 mm wide and 1 640 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2 500 mm. It will slot into Toyota’s expanding local crossover range below the C-HR, with the new Corolla Cross – which is scheduled to go into production at Prospecton in KwaZulu-Natal in October 2021 – set to be positioned above the C-HR (but below the RAV4).
Like the Vitara Brezza, the Urban Cruiser will take on the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger.
