Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor

Hot on the heels of the Rumion MPV, Toyota is expected to bring in its version of the Fronx crossover and is expected to call it the Urban Cruiser Taisor. As has been the case for the last few cross-badging efforts, we expect a new face, alloy wheels, and interior colour scheme to be the dominant factors in separating the Fronx and the Urban Cruiser Taisor.

The Urban Cruiser Taisor might seem like a small effort and may even invoke cries of “not another one”. But we think a Fronx clone will make a very good case for itself and here are four reasons we think the car will work for Toyota in India.

Fronx is a hit

The Maruti Fronx is a hit for the Japanese automaker. Since its launch in late April this year, Maruti has been able to move 7,000-10,000 units every month and that’s a hit not just by industry standard but by Maruti’s lofty sales number every month. In fact, the Fronx alone trumps certain manufacturers’ complete monthly sales. Making a rebadged version of such a car is a win-win for both Maruti and Toyota.

Growing segment where Toyota needs to be a player

The Fronx is Maruti’s second car in the sub-4 compact SUV segment, third if you count the Jimny — just the length though. This is a fast-growing segment with 10 cars fighting for a piece of the pie. Toyota had the Maruti Brezza-based Urban Cruiser till mid-2022 but is now missing from the game. This car would be a quick and easy way to get back into the game.

Model is already on sale as the Glanza

This will be a bit of an Inception-like detail, so bear with me. The Toyota Glanza is based on the Maruti Baleno and so is the Maruti Fronx! See where I’m going with this? Everything is already in place for Toyota to have the car in its showrooms, both from the sales as well as service end. All they need now is to launch the car!

Cross-badging is a proven success

Lastly, we have seen that everything that has come out of the cross-badging effort has succeeded. Right from the Glanza to the Maruti Invicto, it's been a win-win of sorts for both companies. The hurdle of having to convince buyers has been crossed. If we had to add in a bit more, we could even say this product is inevitable as there are export markets where Toyota is strong but Suzuki has a much smaller presence.

Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor pricing and expectations

The Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor (if it's called that) will be a rebadged version of the Fronx. It's expected to arrive at a premium over its Maruti brother and will be offered with both the 1.2-litre petrol and 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine options. Both MT and AT options are expected to be available for both engines, like the Fronx. It will rival the likes of the Maruti Fronx, Maruti Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Mahindra XUV300, Renault Kiger, and the Nissan Magnite. It is expected to be priced in the range of Rs. 12 lakh to Rs. 16 lakh.