Toyota Urban Cruiser photographed next to a Toyota Land Cruiser, see the family resemblance?

Toyota Urban Cruiser

The world’s motoring press yawned when Toyota unveiled the new Toyota Urban Cruiser for the European market. The Urban Cruiser was supposed to help fill in the gap after the Toyota RAV4 grew larger.

Many expected a new model but all we got was a rehash of the Toyota ist and the Scion xD with a slightly higher ride height. And the thing is it shares half its name with the mighty Toyota Land Cruiser, a true blue offroading machine. But I suppose the word Urban changes the word completely. Here’s a new set of 3 photos of the new Urban Cruiser snapped next to its Land Cruiser big brother.

Toyota Urban Cruiser

Various engines are available with the Toyota Urban Cruiser, including that new 1.33 litre Dual VVT-i unit that also features start-stop technology and puts out 129g/km. There is also a 130g/km 1.4 litre D4-D turbodiesel putting out 89 horsepower, and this particular engine is exclusively available only with all-wheel drive.

Toyota Urban Cruiser

The AWD system is called Active Torque Control can vary torque distribution from 100:0 up to 50:50 between the front and rear, so it actually runs in front wheel drive most of the time whenever the additional rear traction is not needed. This is done via an electronically controlled coupling located in front of the rear differential. There is also a LOCK button to force 50:50 mode.

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • mohdjiman on May 18, 2009 at 10:33 am

    Yawn…

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  • Woooweee on May 18, 2009 at 10:38 am

    woooow..

    maybe someone in boleh land can transform their mai V into this.. ?

    nice AWD..

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  • ambipur on May 18, 2009 at 5:10 pm

    looks like a jacked up scion xD

    rav4 is a good mini 4×4 though

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  • underpowered?

    next perodua model?

    ehheheheheh

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  • farghmee on May 18, 2009 at 5:49 pm

    err…is it a pimped-up myvi?

    or similar to myvi?

    a-pillar, front door, handle..

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  • another road user on May 18, 2009 at 5:53 pm

    Hmnn, looks a bit like myvi from certain angles…:)

    If introduced in Malaysia sure ppl will buy myvi and mod it to look alike.

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  • i think toyota shud go and die! take a myvi platform soup it up and put it next to landcruiser so people will think it has the same characteristics and durability of the mighty cruiser. are we idiots? another profiteering scam.

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  • jack-up myvi

    cheers!

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  • puke

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  • Black Dog on May 18, 2009 at 8:38 pm

    I tot it looks more like the Myvi with it's 1.3L engine, instead of Land Cruiser which is way bigger!

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  • nabill on May 18, 2009 at 8:50 pm

    kinda shocking how irelevant and boring this is…

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  • stevewy on May 18, 2009 at 9:20 pm

    looks like new Toyota Ist

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  • I'm the Myvi fa on May 18, 2009 at 9:24 pm

    ptui……..

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  • nenek dugong…the new land cruiser also looks plain and boring, no more muscular looks.

    is this the recession product

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  • 4G63T DSM on May 18, 2009 at 9:59 pm

    I wonder why Toyota even bothered.

    They could have used Daihatsu's Terios and rebadged it as a Toyota (wait, they already do that), slap in a 2.0L engine and it would be deja vu.

    After all, the original Rav4 is about the same sized as the current Terios/Rush. After all, didn't they want it to look tough? or maybe "urbanized" means softer…

    Bah, it would have been a lot easier and better just to make a jacked up Toyota Matrix/Vibe, afterall they used to have softroader AWD anyway.

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  • azrai on May 18, 2009 at 10:46 pm

    A jacked up myvi. lets see what mat kereta can do with their Myvi after this.

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  • Nutty on May 18, 2009 at 11:06 pm

    Land Cruiser = Daddy , Urban Cruiser = son BUT where is the mom?

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  • Nutty on May 18, 2009 at 11:08 pm

    Landcruiser = daddy, urbancruiser= son, BUT where the Mom?

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  • Calvin De La Rosa on May 18, 2009 at 11:58 pm

    89Hp? 89? 89Hp on a 4WD?? come on…!

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  • Gajen on May 19, 2009 at 12:51 am

    the land cruiser is really awesome but the urban cruiser is just boring…heres the problem toyota spends much more time and effort on their high end models…whereas their cheap models, they just close an eye..

    and another problem is we dont get all their high end models here..=(

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  • Fugly

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  • [quote comment="239402"]89Hp? 89? 89Hp on a 4WD?? come on…![/quote]

    Check the torque dude. Relatively easier to increase HP but don't expect the same goes for increase TORQUE. Otherwise, easier to increase CPS engine and Exora do not having 'adequate' 150Nm from 125hp 1.6!

    There is two option of engine available for the five seater Urban Cruiser, a a 1.3-litre VVT-i petrol with 100bhp (75kW) and 132 Nm of torque, and a 1.4-litre D-4D AWD engine with 89bhp (66kW) and a maximum torque of 205 Nm between 1,800rpm and 2,800rpm.

    Using the Toyota Optimal Drive, Toyota's name for the more-efficient-yet-powerful engine package, that debuted in the Auris last fall, the B-segment hatch has two engine options. First up is the 1.33 Dual VVT-i 2WD model, which comes with Stop & Start technology and emits 129 grams of CO2 per km. Mileage rating is 43 mpg (U.S.) on the UK system. The 1.4 D-4D common rail diesel engine is used on the AWD version of the Urban Cruiser, and just barely loses out to the other model, with emissions of 130 grams of CO2 per km thanks, in part, to a diesel particulate filter. Toyota says this is the lowest for any four-wheel drive vehicle in the world. Anyone got a counter to that? The diesel also happens to get 48 mpg (U.S.)

    Aside from the engines, Toyota has also tweaked the production method to limit the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used in the Urban Cruiser's interior.

    The 100bhp (101 DIN hp) engine in the 2WD Urban Cruiser emits 129g/km of carbon dioxide and has an official combined cycle fuel consumption of 51.4mpg. The engine's design benefits from Toyota's extensive motor sport experience in being exceptionally lightweight and compact, with a small bore and long stroke, giving a very high power to weight ratio. Its efficient performance is also promoted by its high, 11.5:1 compression ratio.

    Toyota's Dual VVT-i valve timing helps boost response across the entire rev range, improving torque at low and medium engine speeds while at the same time reducing emissions and contributing to better fuel efficiency.

    Toyota Optimal Drive 1.4 D-4D diesel engine

    Toyota is offering a comprehensively revised version of its 1.4-litre D-4D common rail diesel engine in Urban Cruiser, exclusively with all-wheel drive. Equipped with the latest piezo-electric injector technology and a diesel particulate filter (DPF), it produces just 130g/km of CO2, the world's lowest figure for an AWD drive car powered by an internal combustion engine.

    The piezo-electric injectors work at exceptionally high pressure and can supply larger, more precise volumes of fuel at twice the speed of conventional injectors. This means they can deliver multiple injections in each combustion cycle, giving responsive engine performance with low fuel consumption and reduced emissions.

    The engine generates 89bhp (90 DIN hp) at 3,800rpm and 205Nm of torque between 1,800 and 2,800rpm, with combined cycle fuel economy of 57.7mpg.

    New six-speed manual transmission

    Both engines use a new six-speed transmission, which also benefits from the application of Toyota Optimal Drive technology. Gear changes are quiet and smooth and a wide sixth gear ratio helps the powertrain achieve world-class levels of efficiency and fuel economy.

    I wish our upcoming new Myvi XXL mpv come with torquey 1.4 D4D tune to be slightly higher BHP with 230Nm torque. BTW, too much to expect from Toyota if we're not WHITE EUROPEANS.

    Our Toyotas mostly third world variants even UMW Toyota used to be reluctant to embrace then.

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  • thats toyota for you!

    the toyota where most of their customers do not do enough market study and just buy because their relative's son's friend's daughter's neighbour say its good.

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  • Jimmy on May 19, 2009 at 7:01 am

    Why only blame Toyota? Honda, Nissan etc their models here are also 3rd world variants. Mazda 6 is fully imported. Yeah!

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  • [quote comment="239472"]thats toyota for you!

    the toyota where most of their customers do not do enough market study and just buy because their relative's son's friend's daughter's neighbour say its good.[/quote]

    exactly

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  • [quote comment="239494"]Why only blame Toyota? Honda, Nissan etc their models here are also 3rd world variants. Mazda 6 is fully imported. Yeah![/quote]

    Seems you're not quite clear about THIRD WORLD variants:- a vehicle design for third world market initially i.e Kijang for Indonesia now even Taiwan got their version of Kijang. or Avanza, Honda City etc

    Not about locally assemble.

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  • mystvearn on May 19, 2009 at 9:23 am

    its a jacked up myvi with scion lights:P and a slightly different rear

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  • Without the badge it maybe deemed very much a Myvi extension if not Kia SOul look-alike BUT l'll take this car anytime over any aforementioned brands.

    This Toyota got soul, novelty TOYOTA ULTIMATE DRIVE was irresistible THOUGH the said FC maybe too good to be true. The car more towards Toyota bB/Daihatsu COO-Materia rather than Myvi/Passo/Boon.

    Toyota very good at that job, using one platform to spin another and it's inevitable for the sake of economies of scale (the same car was brand under youth brand-Scion).

    Toyota (general)- Scion- Lexus (premium).

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  • intermilan on May 19, 2009 at 6:14 pm

    Yawn :O

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  • Danko on May 19, 2009 at 8:09 pm

    Urgh!! Ugly.. although much better than any stupid honda. Tasteless nonetheless.

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  • Fiziks on May 20, 2009 at 8:40 am

    the Japanese sell cars that drive and look like appliances. The Japanese never mastered car design. They all look like bars of soap

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  • AhMan on May 20, 2009 at 7:26 pm

    WOW.. Scion look great.. can use the bumper in MYVI?

    it becomes MYCION.. wow..nice name..

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  • SAIRAH Express:089757357 on Sep 12, 2010 at 11:33 am

    in 5 years.. they replace myvi with this model.. possible?

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