Is the 2023 Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder a Brezza twin?
All-new Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder will have a self-charging hybrid system
It seems there's no stopping Toyota from building more electrified vehicles. While the automaker already has several hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) models in the country like the Corolla Altis, Corolla Cross, Camry, and the RAV4, Toyota still wants to make hybrid technology more available across different markets and price ranges.
Over in India, Toyota is gearing up to reveal its latest electrified model called the Urban Cruiser Hyryder. No, that is not a typo – that is actually the correct spelling and it highlights the vehicle's hybrid nature.
Toyota described the upcoming crossover will have a self-charging hybrid powertrain. While official specs have yet to be revealed, we won't be surprised if it will have the familiar Hybrid Synergy Drive system under the hood.
Style-wise, the Urban Cruiser Hyryder will have an aggressive and sporty exterior highlighted by a distinct front fascia. It will have a pair of sleek LED daytime running lights, bumper-mounted headlights, a large lower air intake, body claddings on the wheel arches, and stylish alloy wheels.
While we have yet to see the car in full, it seems the Hyryder might be roughly the same size as the Suzuki Brezza which is also set to be revealed very soon. And speaking of Suzuki, we cannot help but think that the Urban Cruiser Hyryder might be related (or a direct twin) to the Brezza.
That's because 2 years ago, Toyota launched the regular Urban Cruiser in India and it was essentially based on the Suzuki Vitara Brezza. While it gets a slightly different face, underneath it shared the same components, chassis design, and even right down to its engine which is a 1.5-liter K15 inline-four with a mild-hybrid system that also recharges itself. In addition, the mild-hybrid powerplant is also seeing use in the recently-revealed Ertiga Hybrid and XL6.
With a launch date set for July 1, 2022, we'll be keeping an eye out for the Urban Cruiser Hyryder's official reveal. With that in mind, could Toyota actually bring it here in the Philippines? Given that Toyota already has the Raize and the Corolla Cross Hybrid, it might be a longshot for Toyota to try and fit the Hyryder in the local lineup.
However, Suzuki might be able to bring the crossover in the form of the all-new Brezza since they already axed the Vitara. With the Celerio, Dzire, and Jimny already being sourced from Maruti, there's a good reason to believe that this could be possible.
