A subcompact crossover running on hybrid technology, Toyota Urban Cruiser Neodrive woos the urban driver with its promise of nearly 20 kilometres per litre and a host of standard features that is unrivalled, if only for the lack of rivals in this entry-level segment.
The Design
Toyota Urban Cruiser would have looked like a overgrown hatchback, if not for the muscular body and somewhat elevated stance. Looking cool in dual tone colour, my test car was white-bodied with a glossy black roof, flaunting a roof spoiler and roof rails.
Dimensions: L x W x H 4365 x 1795 x 1645 mm Wheel base 2600 mm
Powered by: 1.5 L engine and a Lithium-ion battery
Output: 102 hp at 6000 rpm, 138 Nm at 4400 rpm
Fuel economy: Up to 19.8 km/L claimed
Price: 1.5 GL AED 74,900 and 1.5 GLX AED 84,900
Placing Toyota Urban Cruiser Neodrive in perspective
The Toyota Urban Cruiser is 4365 mm long. In comparison, the Nissan Kicks is 4295 mm, the Chevrolet Groove is 4220 mm and the Hyundai Creta is 4300 mm. The compact SUV from Toyota, the popular RAV4 is 4595 mm long.
For an understanding of the power-size equation, the Urban Cruiser Neodrive is driven by a 1.5 L hybrid engine good for 102 hp and 138 Nm of torque; the Creta is diven by a 1.5L engine with a 115 hp and 144 Nm; and the Kicks is powered by a 1.6 L engine producing 118 hp and 149 Nm.
The difference to be noted is that the Urban Cruiser ‘Neodrive’, as they call it, is a mild hybrid vehicle. Neodrive is a reference to its start-stop technology, which I will explain later in the review.
Cabin space
There is enough headroom for occupants in the Urban Cruiser Neodrive and, given that it is a subcompact crossover, you can’t really complain about the legroom as well. The rear centre seat is too hard-cushioned for long drive comfort and restricted by the extending rear AC vent. Well, the way it redefines what 24-degrees Celsius feels like in proper Toyota style, this is one car that could have done without a rear AC vent!
In front, the bucket-styled seats are reasonably comfortable but not the kind that give you a tight squeeze in corners. Leather and plastic trims co-exist like they do in affordable subcompact crossovers. The armrest is moderately spacious, there is a sunglass holder and some door-side storage space. The boot is just as large as you expect in a subcompact.
Technology on screen
The 8” central screen lets you choose all the date you need including the air pressure in each tyre. The volume control too is digitally done, but you can do that from the steering too. As for advanced technology features that matter, there is wireless charging and a Head Up Display other than a Blind Spot Monitor and a camera that offers a top-angle view and sides as well. On the retro part, the handbrake in the Urban Cruiser is an old-fashioned pull-up lever.
Hybrid with ‘Neodrive’
The Urban Cruiser in the UAE is a hybrid car with a Lithium-ion battery and a Euro4 emission certification. However, it shouldn’t be misunderstood as a full-fledged hybrid like its Hyryder version in India, or the C-HR or the Toyota Corolla Cross available here (which is in the same subcompact segment as Urban Cruiser). It is a mild hybrid, equipped with a new tech they call ‘Neodrive’. This is nothing but the start-stop system in European cars, designed to allow the car to sleep when idling at signals so as to save fuel. The difference is that in Urban Cruiser’s case, the engine sleeps but the motor remains awake allowing continued functioning of electronics air-conditioning.
Being a hybrid, the Head Up Display also shows battery charge status while the central screen elaborates on the fuel economy and how the charging is progressing (when the battery is driving the car or the engine is charging the battery, especially when you let go of the accelerator allowing the braking energy to recharge the battery). On one of my drives, only two out of five cells of charge indication lit up when I started, but a quick 20-minute drive brought it back to full charge. The start-stop function complements the fuel economy focus of the hybrid. While Toyota claims 19.8 km per litre, the dashboard report showed only 14.2 km per litre, which is perhaps more of a statement on the driving styles of the test drivers before me.
The Drive
There is a reason why it is called an ‘urban cruiser’ and not a highway cruiser. On that particularly windy week, the handling and stability belied its compact, hatchback like appearance. The steering too had an ‘intermittently smooth’ or often detached feel. The 1.5 L engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic that comes with a manual drive option though the flimsy paddle shifters aren’t great fun.
India is where the Urban Cruiser Neodrive arrives from and it is a reasonably popular car on Desi roads, where highway speeds are nowhere close to those on UAE roads. The fact that it is picking up in popularity here will have to be ascribed to its almost non-challenged existence as a hybrid option among subcompact crossovers. The fuel economy and mid-speed comfort underscores it as a logical choice in urban traffic, good for a cruise rather than a quick escape.
Features that underscore value
Toyota Urban Cruiser Neodrive has a host of standard features in safety and everyday technology. Dual front, side and curtain airbags, 17” alloy wheels, Wireless connectivity of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Tyre Pressure Warning System, Hill Hold, Cruise Control, Rear parking sensors and camera, Keyless entry, Central door lock, LED projector headlamps, Roof rails and spoiler, Skid plates, Rear AC vents, 60-40 rear seat folding are all important considerations in a segment that places value for money as priority.
As for the higher trim (1.5 GLX) that was my test car, the 5000 dirham premium is convincingly justified by leather seats, head up display, wireless charger, rear USB ports, ambient lighting, two-tone body colour, auto fold mirrors and a surround view camera.
The essential Toyota Urban Cruiser Neodrive
There are some features found in some cars that I believe every automaker should be providing in every model they make. Toyota Urban Cruiser Neodrive has one such – a camera feature that comes on right when you start the car. The camera seems to go around the car, presenting a surround view of what is on each side of the car – valuable data that reassures you everything is safe for you to move. Kudos, Toyota.
