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Join Date: May 2019 Location: Pune
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| Re: Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor Review
After countless hours of YouTube reviews, dealer visits, late-night spec-sheet battles, and way too many “What ifs,” I finally brought home a Toyota Taisor S+. And now that I’ve completed more than 3000 kms with it — mostly munching highway miles — it’s time to spill the beans: the good, the bad, and the why-did-they-do-this? Here’s my buying story and early impressions!
The Hunt Begins:
Initially, the plan was simple — find a good second-hand car, save some cash, and keep things flexible since I might be moving states in the next couple of years.
But oh boy, reality had other plans.
The used car market in Bangalore? Let’s just say it’s living in a parallel universe.
I mean, here I am, looking at six-year-old Ford Ecosports, clocked at 80,000 km, with a ₹7.5 lakh price tag slapped on them — for a car whose manufacturer has literally packed its bags and left the country!
Spares? After-sales support? Good luck.
For just ₹1 lakh more, you could get a brand-new car, fresh out of the oven, with a shiny 3-year warranty — and yet, somehow, these used cars are still flying off the shelves.
I kept scratching my head thinking, “Am I the crazy one here, or is everyone else living in an alternate dimension?”
At that point, I decided. It’s better to stretch the budget a little and go for a brand-new car rather than gamble with someone’s old love story (and future repair bills).
With a strict budget of ₹9–10 lakh, a clear preference for manual transmission, good fuel economy & decent power knowing the car would live 80% of its life on highways, the search began. Sedans were quickly crossed off — because let’s face it, Dzire, Amaze, Aura, and Tigor have all graduated to full-time "taxi" status now.
I wanted something that looked good, drove well, and didn’t scream taxi at every traffic signal.
Cars I Looked At (and Fled From):
1. Tata Nexon Smart Plus
Good-looking? Absolutely. 5-star safety? Check.
But missing alloys, no climate control, and the sad realization that every third compact SUV on the road is a Nexon made me feel like I’d be just another face in the crowd. Pass.
2. Skoda Kylaq Classic Variant
Honestly, what a machine! TSI engine is a gem and driving feel one of the best in the segment. Some missing features which could be added as dealer level accessories, on the flip side mileage would be single digit in city & would not cross 15 on a bit spirited driving on highways.
But Skoda must’ve mistaken "Classic" for "Collector’s Edition" — thanks to a more than 3-4 month waiting period and an underwhelming dealership vibe. Not gonna wait for a car longer than a college semester, sorry.
Skoda & Mahindra are losing out on sales if they have excess manufacturing capacity which is not utilized & may be should hire a new planning/strategy team as both of them have a best-in-class products which they are not willing to sell. It seems both Skoda and Mahindra love advertising their base models but hate actually selling them.
3. Mahindra XUV 3XO MX1
Exact same story as kylaq, best in class value for money product which Mahindra does not want to sell.
1-year waiting was quoted over the phone itself. I didn’t even waste fuel visiting the showroom.
4. Renault Kiger / Nissan Magnite
Feature-loaded to the brim — almost tempting.
But Kiger looks like a beefed-up Kwid, Nissan's service network is fading; brand's future uncertain. 1.0L NA engine was painfully underpowered and had awful fuel efficiency (~12 kmpl on highways) on the self-drive Triber's which I had driven, could be car specific issue but multiple cars having same issue did not seem likely. Turbo's fuel efficiency would be practically lower further.
5. Citroën C3 Shine 1.2 Turbo / Aircross Base
Hard to convince myself on Citroën — extremely low monthly sales figures. Plus, they were pushing 2023 stock of Aircross in 2025 for peanuts in discount — no thanks.
6. Hyundai i20 N-Line N6
This was pure temptation on wheels — loud, fast, feature-loaded.
But deep down, I wanted something bigger-looking — that SUV-ish stance mattered.
7. Maruti Fronx Delta Plus
Identical to the Taisor mechanically.
Ultimately, the premium dealership experience at Toyota (vs Nexa), plus the Toyota badge earned a higher respect made the difference.
Booking the Taisor:
The experience at Sharayu Toyota was sheer class — fast process, good discounts, clear communication, no unnecessary "compulsory" accessories drama. It was refreshing compared to the Nexa dealership, where enthusiasm levels seemed lower than my fuel gauge after a 500 km highway run.
Living with the Taisor
I can't stress this enough — Taisor is a looker!
The front reminds you of bigger Toyotas — that wide, aggressive grille just nails the SUV vibe.
The rear? Different, fresh, slightly quirky — and I love it.
It's not bulky, yet it commands attention far better than other compact SUVs around.
Pro tip: In grey color with aftermarket Fronx alloys, it looks chef’s kiss 🔥
Interiors: 4/5
Step inside... and, well, hello Baleno/Fronx/Glanza/Taisor etc..!
Toyota engineers clearly discovered CTRL+C, CTRL+V in MS Word — and applied it to car design.
Toyota engineers while designing the Taisor must’ve been the classic backbenchers — you know the type. They copy the topper’s assignment (read: Maruti), tweak the first two or three pages (Exterior Design) just enough to fool the professor (read: customers), and then lazily Ctrl+C the Interiors without even changing the font!
Jokes apart, the cabin quality is decent, and the flat-bottom steering looks sporty. Analogue dials are an emotional win — watching the needle climb is so much more satisfying than soulless digital bars.
The only big letdown? That MID look straight out of 2009. Even my decade-old bike shows better graphics. I would have loved if Maruti had plonked the 2021 swift's speedo or a XL6 speedo whose dials start at 6'0 Clock, which looks way sportier & would have gelled well with the character of the car.
Engine & Performance: 3/5
Chose the 1.2L NA over the 1.0L turbo purely for:
Lower running cost, Better reliability, Price savings (~₹1.5 lakh difference!) & better efficiency.
Having driven the old K12 engines in the Swift, I was pretty confident the Taisor would carry forward the same lively spirit — you know, that eager puppy-like enthusiasm to sprint at any given chance.
On paper, the 90 HP figure of the new K12N engine seemed fine. But real-world driving told another story. Maybe it’s the BS6.2 emissions strangling the engine’s natural breathing, or maybe it’s just Maruti trying to make it more "family-friendly" — either way, that old wild-child character is gone.
Try flooring it in 2nd gear: where my 17-year-old Alto would proudly jerk its nose up and charge to 75 km/h right upto the redline like it had something to prove, the Taisor casually sips its tea, simply...moves. Calmly. Without any fireworks.
There's no surge, no drama, no cheeky exhaust growl — just a smooth and emotionless climb in speed. And once you cross 3000rpm, the engine starts to sound a little coarse, as if it's sighing heavily, wishing you’d just cruise quietly instead of trying to have fun. That initial surge you expect in a small lightweight car? Gone.
It’s clear the K12N has been tuned for efficiency and smoothness, not for excitement. And if you’ve ever loved the lively nature of the older K12s, this "matured" version might leave you missing the good old days.
Mileage - (3/5) - Coming to mileage which was the strongest point of the engine, somehow, I am not able to get decent mileage of the engine, Highway runs when driven at max legal speed limits of Samruddhi Expressway will see the mileage go down to 16.5 with AC on & 17.0 kmpl @ 90–100 km/h if driven light-footed.
AC Off: Expect a 1.5 kmpl bump.
MID is optimistic by 1 kmpl and DTE disappears when you need it the most (last bar).
Good job, Suzuki engineers. Truly. (Slow claps.)
Handling: 5/5
Handling is easily one of Taisor’s strongest suits.
Stable, confident, and masks speeds beautifully.
You realize you’re doing 120 only when you glance at the speedo or when the speed warning beeps.
Steering is well-weighted, not the typical light feather duster Maruti style. U-turns are effortless, return-to-center action is satisfying, though the steering has some stickiness at high speeds, would get this checked at the next servicing.
NVH Levels: 3/5
At idle, it's quieter than a student during viva exams.
But cross 80 km/h, and both engine and tyre noise decide to join the party inside the cabin.
Tyres:
Factory-fitted Goodyear Assurance TripleMax tyres perform surprisingly well.
Grip levels are solid, no screeching even under hard braking.
Road noise? Noticeable — but hard to tell if it’s tyres or lack of damping.
Safety:
2 airbags only — no optional 6 airbag variant like Fronx.
Doors feel better built than old Swifts/Balenos, but no match for a Mahindra or Skoda.
Bonus: Comes with an engine guard — genuinely useful for Indian roads.
Lighting:
Headlights? Pure eye candy.
Lighting performance? Pure tragedy.
Stock output is just bad for highway drives — no plug-n-play upgrades either.
Planning to install auxiliary lamps after the warranty honeymoon ends.
AC:
Decent, works fine for front passengers.
Rear passengers though?
Let's just say — will be adding rear AC vents very soon. Already discussed at the first service; turns out, this is common across Taisor/Fronx owners.
Comfort:
Toyota should market this more — the Taisor rides like a dream over bad patches.
Seating comfort is superb even after 300+ km non-stop runs.
Suspension tuning is spot-on for Indian highways. In terms of comfort I would rate it better than Kylaq or 3XO.
Features:- “Good from far, but far from fully loaded.”
Now out of the box, the Taisor is not exactly stripped down. You do get auto climate control (thank god, no more fiddling with knobs mid-traffic), hill assist, alloys, DRLs, LED Headlamps.
At first glance, you think, “Hey, not bad, Toyota is giving me value!”
But then you live with it for a few days… and start noticing the gaps — no height-adjustable seats, no flip key (come on, even scooters get better treatment now), no fog lamps, and no reverse camera.
Basically, Toyota gave the Taisor just enough features to keep the brochure looking fat but held back on the essentials, just so you feel that aftermarket itch — and oh boy, scratch it you will.
Thankfully, here’s where the Taisor flexes some hidden muscle: its aftermarket friendliness.
Since it’s essentially a Fronx in a Toyota hoodie, you inherit the massive Maruti aftermarket ecosystem — and it's as vast as a buffet on a cheat day.
Want to pretend you bought the top-end variant? No problem, boss.
You can slap on diamond-cut alloys, install height-adjustable seats, get rear AC vents blowing ice-cold air, activate cruise control for those long boring highways, fit a push-button start to feel fancy, add connected tail lamps for that Audi-lite vibe, 360-degree camera for parking like a pro, ambient lighting to set the mood — basically everything short of making it fly.
I’ve already swapped the stock black alloys (which looked pretty meh against the Grey Taisor) for Fronx’s diamond-cut beauties — and trust me, they transform the look. Suddenly, the car starts to look like it belongs a segments above.
Final Thoughts :
If you want a stylish, unique, highway-friendly compact SUV under ₹10L with Toyota reliability, the Taisor hits the sweet spot.
It’s not the most powerful or safest car out there — but for someone looking at comfort, economy, and presence on the road without emptying the wallet, it’s an absolute no-brainer.
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely — but with eyes open about the compromises.
Last edited by moralfibre : 26th April 2025 at 21:04.
Reason: Only two smileys permitted per post.
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14th June 2024, 02:25
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