Toyota unveils Urban Cruiser EV

12 December 2024

Toyota is expanding its lagging EV lineup with the all-new Urban Cruiser EV, a small electric SUV that shares more than a passing resemblance to the Suzuki e-Vitara. Set to debut at the 2025 Brussels Motor Show in January, the Urban Cruiser offers a glimpse into Toyota's electric future, even if it borrows heavily from its Suzuki counterpart.

While the Urban Cruiser shares its underpinnings and much of its design with the e-Vitara, Toyota has given it a unique face with different headlights and distinctive tail lights. The interior also gets some Toyota-specific touches, but the overall layout and features remain largely the same, including a 10.25-inch instrument cluster and a 10.1-inch infotainment screen.

Even though it is on the rather compact side of things, the Urban Cruiser has a surprisingly spacious cabin, thanks in part to its generous 106.3 inches wheelbase. The rear seats offer sliding and reclining functions. Toyota claims the interior can be as spacious as a midsize SUV, a bold claim for a vehicle that measures just 168.7 inches in length.

The Urban Cruiser will be available in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations, with three power outputs and two lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery options. FWD models offer either 142 hp (106 kW) or 172 hp (128 kW), while the AWD version gets 182 hp (135 kW) from a dual-motor setup. Battery options include a 49 kWh unit (FWD only) and a 61 kWh unit (FWD and AWD).

Toyota has yet to release official WLTP range figures, but the Urban Cruiser incorporates features like an energy-saving heat pump for the A/C and a manually activated battery pre-heating function to optimize efficiency, especially in colder climates.

The Urban Cruiser joins Toyota's growing European lineup. The company aims to have 15 zero-emission vehicles in its lineup by 2026, including six battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) built on dedicated platforms.

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