Toyota Urban Cruiser EV unveiled

Toyota has globally unveiled its new BEV compact SUV, the Toyota Urban Cruiser EV. This is essentially Toyota’s version of the Suzuki e Vitara unveiled last month after the two manufacturers deepened their EV collaboration, and it comes with two battery options, along with FWD and AWD powertrains. The Urban Cruiser EV will make its public debut at the 2025 Brussels Motor Show, and here’s everything you need to know about it.

Toyota Urban Cruiser EV design

The Urban Cruiser EV follows the theme of ‘Urban Tech’ for its design and it gets a ‘hammerhead’ front end, a key design element which integrates the headlamps and DRLs. The side profile is identical to that of the Suzuki e Vitara, and so is the rear, with the connected tail lights providing a strong reminder of the same. Even the alloy wheel designs of the Urban Cruiser EV and the e Vitara are identical. Depending on the variant, the Urban Cruiser EV will get 18 or 19-inch wheels. The overall length of the Urban Cruiser EV is 4285mm, with the width being 1800mm and the overall height being 1640mm, with a 2700mm wheelbase.

Toyota Urban Cruiser EV interior

The Urban Cruiser EV gets a black and dark grey interior and the dashboard features vertical A/C vents, with a horizontal instrument panel combining the instrument cluster and the infotainment system. The instrument cluster is a 10.25-inch unit while the infotainment is 10.1-inch with smartphone integration and a JBL premium audio system. There’s also ambient lighting, with 12 different colours and a fixed sunroof. The Urban Cruiser EV promises to be practical too, thanks to a sliding rear seat system, to increase or decrease the space between the first and second row passengers. The rear seats also split-fold in a 40:20:40 configuration and can also be reclined. In terms of kit, you get ADAS features including a pre-collision system, adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert and lane keep assist. You also get a 360-degree camera.

Toyota Urban Cruiser EV battery and powertrain

The Urban Cruiser will be offered with two battery packs and the option of front or all-wheel drive. A 49kWh battery pack will be available exclusively in the FWD version, giving an output of 142bhp and 189Nm. The FWD model will also be offered with a 61kWh battery pack producing an output of 172bhp and 189Nm. The AWD version of the Urban Cruiser EV will be offered with a 61kWh battery pack producing an output of 181bhp and 300Nm. There is no mention of a range figure yet. The AWD version is also equipped with Downhill Assist Control and a Trail Mode which detects and brakes a spinning wheel while directing drive torque to the opposite wheel. The front-wheel drive model gets a ‘snow mode’ which controls the drive torque to help reduce wheel-slip when driving on snow-covered roads.

We expect that the Urban Cruiser EV will be sold alongside the e Vitara in India, and it is likely that both the SUVs could be priced very competitively. Both these SUVs will go head to head against rivals like the Hyundai Creta, the Kia Seltos, the Volkswagen Taigun and the Skoda Kushaq in a highly competitive compact SUV segment. However, the choice of an electric powertrain could definitely help sway buyers towards both the Urban Cruiser EV and the e Vitara.