There’s yet another Suzuki-based Toyota on the horizon and it goes by the name of Urban Cruiser Taisor.
The new Compact SUV has been officially teased by Toyota of India, ahead of its official reveal on Wednesday, April 3.
It is strongly rumoured that the Urban Cruiser Taisor will come to South Africa in 2024, although exact launch timing has yet to be confirmed. It’s also more than likely that the local model will have a different name, one that finds appeal beyond the security industry.
The Taisor is based very closely on the Suzuki Fronx, itself a close relative of the Baleno/Starlet hatchback twins, but the darkened teaser images and video footage show some styling differences, particularly at the front end.
While the headlights retain a slim shape similar to the Fronx, the Toyota has a unique horizontal LED arrangement, and the grille has also been completely redesigned, with an outward tapering shape reminiscent of the RAV4.
The interior is expected to carry over with minimal modification, so you can expect the usual 9.0-inch floating infotainment screen with 360-degree around view monitor in the higher-spec versions.
Power, of course, will be provided by the famous K15B 1.5-litre normally aspirated petrol engine that serves up 77kW and 138Nm, through either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox.
The Urban Cruiser Taisor will help plug the void left by the previous-generation Urban Cruiser, which spawned a larger and more expensive replacement model last year.
Pricing should be similar to the Suzuki Fronx, which currently costs between R288,900 and R344,900.