Toyota Urban Cruiser review: Is it better than Vitara Brezza?

The Urban Cruiser looks more like a Toyota car with some design elements inspired from the likes of the Fortuner and Land Cruiser SUVs.

Compared to the Brezza, the Urban Cruiser gets a new two-slat chrome grille at the front along with bigger fog lamp enclosures and a new skid plate.

The company has also offered a new dual-tone color option, called Rustic Brown.

Inside, Toyota has added dark brown fabric seats along with similar colored inserts for the door pads. The rest of the cabin is the same as Vitara Brezza's with a square-shaped theme running across the entire dashboard.

The feature list includes automatic climate control, cruise control, dual airbags, a 7.0-inch touchscreen panel, smartphone connectivity, rain-sensing wipers, as well as projector headlamps with LED DRLs.

Just like the Vitara Brezza, the Urban Cruiser gets a 1.5-liter K15B petrol engine that develops 103hp/138Nm. You can get this unit with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic gearbox.

At city speeds, the power delivery is pretty smooth and even the automatic transmission works well. However, on the highway, the engine runs out of breath as it lacks a turbocharger.

Urban Cruiser's automatic version gets a mild-hybrid system, which enhances fuel economy. With an official figure of 18.76km/l, it is the most efficient petrol (automatic) in its class.

Thanks to the rugged nature of the car, the suspension handles bad roads very well and feels more stable than some of the other compact SUVs. The steering wheel is also responsive and light to use.

Toyota Urban Cruiser starts at Rs. 8.4 lakh and goes up to Rs. 11.5 lakh for the top-end automatic version. That makes it marginally more expensive than the Vitara Brezza but the Toyota does offer a longer warranty.

Compared to other rivals, the Urban Cruiser is a no-frills compact SUV that offers good space and excellent fuel economy along with a rugged appeal.