Toyota has filed a trademark for the name “Urban Cruiser Taisor” in India, which is very likely to be the brand’s new entry in the sub-4-metre SUV segment, according to a report by Autocar India.
The Taisor name first surfaced at the end of 2022 when the automaker announced that it was discontinuing the best-selling Urban Cruiser, and was investigating a possible replacement.
Like many of the other affordable vehicles to come from Toyota in recent years, the Taisor is expected to use the same structure as a model from its long-running partner Suzuki, namely the new Fronx.
Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor trademark filing. Source: Autocar India
A gap in the market
The old Urban Cruiser and its architectural twin, the Suzuki Vitara Brezza, were two of the most popular cars in South Africa, thanks in large part to their affordable pricing that clocked in below the R300,000 mark.
It therefore came as a shock to the industry when both automakers announced in late 2022 that these models were being discontinued barely two years after their introduction, and that we would instead be getting new vehicles in 2023.
Since then, Suzuki has launched the new Grand Vitara in South Africa, while Toyota brought out the new Urban Cruiser (known as the Hyryder in other markets), which shares the same platform as the Suzuki.
While the Grand Vitara and Urban Cruiser are ostensibly replacements for their discontinued counterparts, their prices have seen a significant jump of nearly R50,000, putting both of the new cars well into the R300,000 range.
To fill the gap in the entry-level market left by the Brezza, Suzuki recently launched the new Fronx in South Africa, a crossover coupe based on the Baleno hatchback, which crucially has a starting price of R279,900.
Toyota, meanwhile, has not currently provided a substitute for the old Cruiser, meaning anyone looking for an SUV from the popular carmaker will need to spend at least R329,400.
Much like the new Toyota Vitz, the brand’s entry-level hatchback which is identical in all but name to the Suzuki Celerio, it is expected that Toyota is following the same strategy and will produce its own version of the Fronx to fill the gap in the crossover market, this most likely being the Urban Cruiser Taisor.
What to expect
If the Taisor is indeed based on the Fronx, it will likely take design and equipment cues from the Toyota Starlet hatchback, just as Suzuki has done with the Baleno.
Engine-wise, the Baleno, Starlet, and Fronx all share the same 1.5-litre petrol plant with 77kW and 138Nm, making it a strong contender for the Taisor as well.
The two automakers tend to have similar equipment lists, too, meaning that Toyota’s new crossover could come with items like 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, automatic climate control, a multifunction steering wheel, cruise control, a reverse camera, keyless entry and start, a wireless charger, and a 7-inch media screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
If true, the Taisor will most probably also be the new entry-level Toyota SUV with a price around the competitive R300,000 mark.
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