Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Hybrid- It's HY Time to say Hi to Hybrid!

Over the past year or so, many cars have been launched but none so, which is more appealing than the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Hybrid, bringing Hybrids to the mass-market segment in India. I still wonder why it took Toyota who has over two decades of experience in Hybrids this long to bring a mass-market model to India, nonetheless better late than never. So with me on the lookout for a new car, and stricter emission standards in the pipeline, an electric or hybrid car certainly felt to be the better choice. However, the limited range of EVs was a downer and so Hybrids were the best bet. Upon the initial unveiling of the Hyryder back in June, I was quite tempted by the prospect of a Hybrid car and immediately decided to book the car at our local dealership, the looks and the design certainly appealed to me, So I immediately went to the dealership and paid the booking amount and secured my spot on the waiting list. But with the launch still a few months away, and no display cars or test drives available, I was quite skeptical of my decision, but everything changed once I got my hands on the Test drive vehicle, the absolutely silent nature of the engine on starting and good initial pickup assisted by the hybrid powertrain were out of this world, Moreover, the mileage even on the test drive vehicle was well into the twenties. It is only when you push hard on the accelerator and drive up to cruising speeds that the engine turns on to assist the powertrain. In times of rising fuel prices and slow-moving city traffic, the Hybrid is surely a boon to have. Moving on to the looks of the car, it is definitely a looker and grabs all the attention wherever you go. The sleek design, cuts and curves, and tall stance really do give it a macho look. I had chosen the Midnight black colour and I definitely feel black is the best colour for SUVs, Coming to the performance side, the engine is adequately powered for all your needs and offers enough performance for the highway as well, be it cruising, overtaking, or in traffic. Coming to the interior and features on offer, the car is loaded to the brim with features like LED projector headlamps, twin LED DRLs, a Panoramic sunroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, LED taillights, smartphone connectivity, wireless charging, ventilated seats, HUD, paddle shifters, 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a host of other features really add to the premium quotient of the car, Finally, the day had come for the delivery of my vehicle, it took quite a while, but the Hyryder joined our family the day after Diwali and it was surely an auspicious occasion for us, the joy of driving your brand new car out of the showroom is out of this world, Performance with our new car has been more or less the same as I had experienced in the test drive and I am quite satisfied with it. Mileage has been great too, with it hovering around the twenties, The first service was in a month's time, but it was no more than a general checkup. The dealership and sales personnel were always very supportive and helpful along the way beginning from the booking process up until the delivery and services as well. My only gripe about the car is that it is not too spacious on the inside as it seems on the outside, with rear headroom being at a premium and boot space barely manageable. Apart from this one minor flaw, everything else on this car is absolutely superb. To sum up, the pros of the car are its excellent mileage, great hybrid powertrain, and feature-loaded cabin, while the cons are its limited boot space and rear headroom. But the pros of the car certainly outweigh its cons and it is definitely a car you should consider if it is within your budget and you don't mind the small boot.