Meet the cut-price EV Toyota Australia desperately needs! But will it be over-priced like the bZ4X and flop Down Under?
The 2025 Toyota Urban Cruiser has been unwrapped in Europe and has already been confirmed for right-hand drive markets like the UK where it will be-on sale before the end of next year.
Lining up alongside the Toyota bZ4X in its all-electric car offering, the Toyota Urban Cruiser has yet to be confirmed officially for our market.
Pricing for Europe hasn’t been released yet either. What it would be positioned at if it came to Australia would be critical to its success.
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High pricing of the bZ4X has contributed to its failure to make a sales impact in Australia, unlike most Toyota models.
If it did go on-sale here, logic would suggest pricing starting above $40,000 for the Urban Cruiser.
That would sit it clear of Toyota’s combustion-powered Yaris Cross hybrid. But it would likely be undercut by the incoming Hyundai Inster.
Other logical rivals include the Hyundai Kona Electric that starts at $54,000 and the Jeep Avenger that starts at $49,990 (all prices plus on-road costs).
A replacement for the MG ZS EV is on the way and that will be prime competition, as will the expected BYD Atto 3 Up and confirmed Kia EV3, which could start under $50,000.
Created alongside the Suzuki eVitara, the new battery-electric Toyota SUV will be built alongside it at a factory in India.
Both EVs are based on the Suzuki Heartect-e architecture that also currently underpins the Swift hatch.
Europeans get the choice of either a 49kWh or a 61kWh battery.
With the latter, the Urban Cruiser can cover up to 400km with the bigger battery also capable of being charged at a rate of 150kW.
Three power outputs are offered – a front-mounted e-motor that produces 105kWh and 189Nm of torque, a punchier 128kW/189Nm single motor that still drives the front wheels and a flagship dual motor that kicks out 135kW/300Nm and provides all-wheel drive.
Speaking of AWD, Toyota says it will equip the Urban Cruise with Downhill Assist Control, plus a Trail Mode that boosts traction in slippery conditions.
Front-wheel drive models, meanwhile, will also come with a snow-mode that cuts wheelspin in sub-zero temperatures.
Whichever version you plump for, the Urban Cruiser gets an energy-saving heat-pump as standard plus handy manually-operated pre-heating for the battery in cold climates.
Despite being aimed at the lower end of the EV market, all Urban Cruisers get Toyota’s latest driver assist tech that includes autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert and lane-keep assist. There’s also a 360-degree camera system.
Inside there’s a 10.25-inch full digital instrument cluster which is combined with a 10.1-inch infotainment system and comes with sat-nav that uses cloud-based data to provide accurate details on traffic flow.
A new MyToyota app also allows owners to remotely check their vehicle’s state of charge, or charging progress while plugged in.
Finally, top-of-the-range models come with a premium JBL sound system and a panoramic roof.
