Toyota Urban Cruiser Reborn as a 181 HP-Rated EV SUV

Toyota has revived the Urban Cruiser nameplate in Europe as a 181 HP-rated EV SUV based on the Suzuki e-Vitara.

Toyota has expanded its SUV lineup in the European market by reviving a very familiar nameplate. Say hello to the new Toyota Urban Cruiser, this time coming in the form of a compact all-electric SUV.

Before we digress further, it is important to note that the new Urban Cruiser EV is essentially a Suzuki e-Vitara in Toyota’s drape, featuring some familiar design cues primed on other Toyota models. This includes the Camry-like hammerhead front face featuring C-shaped LED headlights, a Yaris Cross-esque rear end with full-width LED taillights, black-hued underbody cladding with a blacked-out roof to match, and many more.

Dimension-wise, the new Urban Cruiser EV slots between the aforementioned TNGA-based Yaris Cross and the new C-HR in Toyota’s growing SUV lineup in Europe, measuring 4,285 MM long, 1,800 MM wide, 1,640 MM tall, and a wheelbase of 2,700 MM.

Despite its rather small footprint, Toyota claims the Urban Cruiser EV boasts the most spacious cabin amongst its segment rivals. Thanks to its long wheelbase, the Urban Cruiser EV’s rear seats are both slidable and reclinable and capable of being flat-folded to expand its boot space further.

Tech amenities are also not bad for this compact EV SUV, as you’ll find things like a 10.1-inch central infotainment screen that supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a larger 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a slew of ADAS functions, as well as an optional JBL premium audio system and a sunroof.

As we mentioned earlier, the new Urban Cruiser EV is based on the Suzuki e-Vitara, so it rides on the same dedicated EV platform and is available in three variants. The baseline FWD uses a single-motor setup rated at 142 HP (106 kW), while being juiced by a 49-kWh battery pack, while the mid-spec FWD model gets a slightly peppier motor setup rated at 172 HP (128 kW), plus a larger 61-kWh battery pack. Sitting on top of the range is the AWD model, which gets a 182 HP-rated (135 kW) dual-motor AWD setup and the same 61-kWh battery unit used on the mid-spec FWD model.

As of now, Toyota Europe has yet to publish the WLTP figures for all variants of the Urban Cruiser EV, but the Euro-spec model comes standard with a manually activated battery pre-heating function and a heat pump for the A/C, thus promising it to fare better in colder European climates than its Suzuki-badged twin.

Also not unveiled are the prices for the new Toyota Urban Cruiser EV, but Toyota Europe did confirm that this new EV SUV will be making its first public appearance at the upcoming 2025 Brussels Motor Show later in January, before officially entering the European market sometime later in 2025.