Meet the new Toyota Hyryder, Toyota’s and Suzuki’s answer to the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta.

After numerous teaser and nuggets of what’s to come, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder has been fully revealed. This new vehicle joins the ranks of other Toyota and Suzuki products, like the Vitara Brezza/Urban Cruiser and the Baleno/Starlet. Interestingly, we’re yet to see the Suzuki equivalent and after the recent announcement of the Suzuki Brezza which drops the Vitara prefix, we suspect this name will be issued to the newcomer.

It’s an interesting-looking SUV with fresh styling that adopts elements from other Toyota products. There’s a bold grille with LED daytime running lights and head lamps. At the rear are C-shaped tail lights and there are chrome elements to indicate some level of premium positioning.

Inside, we can see common elements from products like the Baleno/Starlet, but there are plush touches like padded leather on the dashboard. There’s a brown and black theme, which is a bit more interesting than your generic all-black interiors we often see these days. As always, the features list looks commendable with climate control and a large 9-inch infotainment screen.

High-spec models will get niceties likea panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, wireless charger, a full digital instrument cluster, heads-up display, connected car tech and voice assist with Google and Siri compatibility. When it comes to safety, there aresix airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system, ESP, hill-hold assist, 3-point seatbelts for all rear passengers, all-wheel disc brakes and hill descent control. The all-wheel drive versions also get drive modes.

The big news is that the Toyota Hyryder will feature hybrid technology and it comes in the form of the 4th-generation hybrid system. Outputs of 68 kW and 122 Nm from the 1.5-litre motor itself combine with an electric motor which produces 58 kW and 141 Nm, giving a total output of 85 kW. Impressively, Toyota India claims it has a pure electric range of up to 25 km.

Another engine offered is the 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol which features an integrated starter generator. This produces 75 kW and 137 Nm. As far as transmissions go, the full hybrid gets what Toyota calls its e-drive, which we suspect is the CVT, while the mild-hybrid features either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter. All-wheel drive is offered too.

Toyota Hyryder coming to South Africa?

So, will it come to South Africa? Without any hesitation, we’re going to say no as the South African market gets the locally-assembled Toyota Corolla Cross which is a commendable product. The Hyryder and Corolla Cross would surely overlap. We do suspect it will come to South Africa, however it will be wearing a Suzuki badge. While this model is yet to be revealed, timelines suggest our current shape Vitara is approaching the end of its lifecycle. As a reminder, this model was launched locally in the middle of 2019.

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Further Reading

Toyota Corolla Cross Review