Toyota Urban Cruiser First Drive Review

Pull the lever to D and there’s enough grunt to get going with ease. Although the max torque of 138Nm is accessible in the mid-range, there’s no lag or delay from the motor even lower down the rev-range. The Urban Cruiser picks up the pace with ease and in a linear manner. It’s relatively light too – tipping the scale under 1,130kg – which further helps in quick response without any delay. And so it is quite easy to keep pace with traffic in the city driving conditions. Show it some open roads and the free-revving motor will easily reach the redline with no hassle. But you won’t need to wring it so much since the strong mid-range will see you through most overtakes and at highway speeds.

Thanks to its well-balanced four-cylinder configuration, the K15 motor doesn’t vibrate harshly even when you keep it at a boil all day. You do, however, hear some amount of grumbling from the four-banger but not an unpleasant growl. As for the gearbox, the four-speed unit is a breeze to use. At first, it might not sound adequate, but in real-world driving, it suffices. The shifts aren’t exactly butter-smooth, but they aren’t a reason to complain either. It shifts appropriately and never makes you feel that you are missing out on the action when driving quickly. It likes to shift close to 2,000rpm or earlier.

But, put your foot down and it will hold on to the gear for longer. It also keeps the motor in the rev-range when driving hard and even on downshifts it responds nicely with no noticeable lag. There’s also 'L' and '2' selectable modes on the lever for times when you are encountering steep climb or are on the ghat sections. It holds on to a lower gear without upshifting, hence providing the necessary punch. Sure, when you plan on hooting it around, there will be a few occasions when the gearbox will run out of its couth. But apart from that, there’re no complaints from the cordial transmission.

As for the steering, its light and easy at slow speeds. It’s also fairly responsive going just two and a half turns lock to lock but it isn’t direct with some amount of lag off-centre. What’s good about it, though, is how effortless it is to drive in the city and to park as well. And it does weigh up nicely as the speed increases too. Stability at high-speeds is good but could have been better. We also found the brakes to be responsive with a very little fade despite this being automatic. To sum it up, the Urban Cruiser is an easy-to-drive car that is also easy to live with.

As for space, there’s ample head and knee space even for taller passengers. The same can be said about the rear seats with generous under-thigh support and an upright backrest angle. You could seat three here but it won’t be comfortable for a longer duration. You don’t even get rear AC vents – something which is now offered in hatchbacks costing much less than the Urban Cruiser. The fabric seat upholstery on offer might not be likeable for some buyers. On the upside, it is a practical cabin with storage space on the centre console, inside driver’s armrest, two cup holders, large door pads, sunglass holder, twin glove box, and cup holders in the centre armrest for rear passengers.

Lastly, there’s the boot space which at 328litres is at par with others in the segment. It has a large loading bay with a fairly squared-off room for a large suitcase and a couple of medium-sized suitcases with room to spare for a duffle bag or backpacks. As the seat gets a 60-40 split-fold, it also adds to the practicality.

What’s more, it also is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In terms of safety, the Urban Cruiser comes with dual airbags, ABS and EBD, speed-sensing door locks, hill-hold control in the automatic, adjustable height for the front-row seatbelt, and various warning lights as standard.