[Omkar]

Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor Review

Since the Maruti Fronx has already been reviewed by Team-BHP, this report will only focus on changes made to the rebadged Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor. To read the full official review, click here.

Introduction

A lot has been said about the badge re-engineering between Maruti and Toyota – good and bad. But the fact is that these cars are selling in good numbers. Next in line for this is the Toyota Taisor which is essentially the Maruti Fronx. And since Maruti has been selling roughly 13-14,000 units per month for the last 4-5 months, it was about time we saw the Toyota version of the same.

The Urban Cruiser Taisor gets the same engine options as the Maruti Fronx which are: an 89 BHP 1.2L 4-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol mated to a 5-speed MT or 5-speed AMT and a 99 BHP 1.0L 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol with a Smart Hybrid system mated to a 5-speed MT or 6-speed AT. There’s also a CNG option available with the 1.2L naturally aspirated petrol engine. And while the cars are almost identical, there are some differences between the Toyota and the Maruti, so let’s get started.

Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor Price & Brochure

The Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor is available in six variants with prices starting from Rs 7.74 lakh and going up to Rs. 13.04 lakh (ex-showroom) – Click here for the detailed price list. Even when you compare the brochures of the Maruti Fronx and the Taisor, you will notice that the feature list on offer is also almost identical. What’s different with the Maruti Fronx is available in more variants than the Toyota Taisor. The price difference for the variants with the naturally aspirated engine is roughly Rs. 22,000 but the variants with the turbo-petrol engine have the same price. The Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor is offered with a standard warranty of 3 years / 1,00,000 km while the Fronx has a standard warranty of 2 years / 40,000 km. However, note that both offer extended coverage for up to 5 years (Fronx – 1,00,000 km & Taisor – 2,20,000 km).

In all fairness, there’s very little that differentiates the two cars. And if you had to pick one from the Maruti Fronx or the Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor, it would boil down to your preferred manufacturer among the two.

The official brochure of the Taisor can be downloaded here: Toyota Taisor Brochure.pdf

[Omkar]

Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor Exterior Review

Toyota has done a decent job of distinguishing itself from the Maruti Fronx. In fact, I prefer the way the Taisor looks over the Fronx. You have a simpler design with less chrome and more subtle creases on the front bumper:


The rear although is almost identical to the Fronx barring the taillamp design:


Toyota has gone for a different design for the alloy wheels and this 5-petal design looks good:


The Taisor measures 3,995 mm in length, 1,765 mm in width, 1,550 mm in height and has a wheelbase of 2,520 mm:


This is the Lucent Orange paint shade which you won’t get on the Fronx. Other mono-tone colours include Sportin Red, Cafe White, Enticing Silver and Gaming Grey. In comparison, the Maruti Fronx has more colours on offer:


A slim chrome strip joins the two DRLs and you get a honeycomb mesh front grille. The design looks a lot more subtle and classy compared to the Fronx (reference image). Note that the bumper creases are also not as aggressive as they are on the Fronx:


Even the DRL design is simple and looks nice on the Taisor. The headlamp cluster has been carried over:


ORVMs get integrated LED turn-indicators and cameras underneath for the 360-degree view system:


These machined alloys are available only on the top-end ‘V’ variant and IMO, they look better than the ones on Fronx:


Drum brakes at the rear:


Strong creases across the body of the Taisor:


Not sure what Toyota was thinking with this whole ‘Urban Cruiser’ part in the names of their cars. Doubt that anyone would be saying it, so why have it? Most people would likely be removing the Urban Cruiser badge for sure. Also, check out the LED taillamp design which is sleeker than Fronx’s design:


The bumper gets plenty of creases along with a black insert and a large silver skid plate:


Good to see a variant badge on the car. Below, you get a ‘neoDrive’ badge too:


The roof spoiler also houses the HMSL:


Dual-tone black roof options are available only with the Sportin Red, Enticing Silver and Café White colours:

Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor Interior Review

Inside the cabin, Toyota has not reinvented the wheel. What you get in the Maruti Fronx is exactly what you get in the Taisor:


Of course instead of the Suzuki logo on the steering wheel, you get the Toyota logo and the silver ring around the logo has been skipped:


On the automatic variant, you get paddle shifters. These are well-sized, properly placed and are good fun to use as well:


The instrument cluster is the same as the Fronx. However, you don’t get the ‘Smart Hybrid’ symbol in the speedometer from the Maruti. Would’ve been nice if Toyota would’ve added a ‘neo Drive’ symbol here. Since this is the automatic variant, the transmission mode is displayed in the bottom corner of the MID:


You don’t get to see the engaged gear in ‘D’ mode. Switch to Manual mode and you get the gear selected on the display:


Fabric-upholstered front seats get side airbags too (no seat covers here please). We would've liked to see ventilated seats here. Overall, the seats offer sufficient bolstering & back support:


The pedals are well-spaced and the dead pedal is very much usable:


The touchscreen is very smooth to use and doesn't lag when you are going through its functions. It is one of the nicer units in the segment and comes with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity:


Strangely the wireless charging pad wasn’t working on our test car:


Here’s a look at the AT gear shifter. The gearbox does not have an "L" or "2" mode. Instead, you get an "M" mode which has been placed right below the D mode. You will end up engaging M mode instead of D. The modes aren’t backlit as well, so you don’t know what mode has been engaged:


UV-cut glass is a great feature for this segment:


The rear bench gets 3 adjustable headrests and all 3 occupants get 3-point seatbelts. Annoyingly, since there are no load sensors for the rear seats, all seatbelts need to be buckled in when the car is being driven even if no one is sitting on the seats to prevent the seatbelt warning from sounding. A centre armrest has not been provided:


Boot space is rated at 308 litres, which is among the smallest in the segment. Even the Baleno has a larger boot (318 litres):


Boot lamp has been provided on the left:

[Omkar]

Driving the Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor 1.0L Turbo-Petrol AT

1.0L turbo-petrol engine makes 99 BHP @ 5,500 rpm and 148 Nm @ 2,000-4,500 rpm. It is mated to a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission:


Since the suspension and handling of the Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor are exactly the same as the Maruti Fronx, we'll just focus only on the engine and gearbox in this post (Link to Maruti Fronx driving post).

Powering the Taisor is the same 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbo-petrol engine from the Fronx which comes with a Smart Hybrid system. We got to drive the 6-speed automatic variant which has a kerb weight of 1,055 kg. Hence, the power-to-weight ratio & torque-to-weight ratio are 94 BHP/ton & 140 Nm/ton respectively. Just like the MT variant that we drove on the Fronx, the AT isn’t an outright performer. Yes, it has a turbo-petrol engine, but at best, we can describe the Taisor AT as quick, not fast.

Fire up the engine and while moving the gear shifter to D, be careful that you don’t choose M by mistake. Since the M mode is placed right below D, 7 times out of 10 I found engaging M mode instead of D. It takes some time getting used to. With a light foot on the throttle, the Taisor is smooth to drive. In the city and bumper-to-bumper traffic, the car doesn’t feel jerky to drive. The automatic has been mated nicely with the turbo-petrol engine. At low speeds, the car isn't lethargic or struggling to get off the line. Driving around town should be comfortable and the gearbox shifts smoothly. In cases where you need that extra bit of power for a quick overtake or to close a gap, the gearbox is responsive to throttle inputs. While driving in the city you will notice that the transmission gets confused at times with varying throttle inputs. Driving sedately is the best way to get a smooth drive in the city.

Out on the highway, you can stretch the Taisor’s legs. As mentioned earlier, the turbo-petrol is not an outright performer, but it has enough power on tap and the power delivery is linear. The turbo kicks in just under 2,000 rpm and there’s a good surge of power past that point. With your foot hard down, you can feel the upshifts. They’re not super quick like you would see in a dual-clutch transmission, but not so slow that most drivers would complain. The engine has enough grunt to keep up with highway traffic and you can overtake slower vehicles easily. While cruising at 80 km/h with the engine spinning at roughly 1,500 rpm, floor the A-pedal and the gearbox takes a moment to drop down the gears, but once it does, the progress is good and you can quickly overtake the car ahead of you. The engine is pretty relaxed while cruising. It spins at 2,000 rpm while doing 100 km/h and 120 km/h is seen at ~ 2,400 rpm.

Switch to manual mode to get a bit more out of the engine. Enthusiasts will prefer being in this mode when trying to push the car. There is no tiptronic mode for manual shifts and you have to use the paddle shifters for going up and down the gears. The response time while using the paddles isn’t quick and it takes a second to upshift or downshift. What’s good though is that the gearbox doesn’t upshift on its own when in manual mode. You can rev the engine all the way to 6,000 rpm (a bit conservative) where it stays until you upshift. Once you get used to the slight delay in shifts, it’s easier to extract more performance from the engine. You can even be in ‘D’ mode and use the paddles to momentarily switch to Manual mode and drop down a gear or two for quicker acceleration. And once you don’t use the paddle shifters for some time, the transmission goes back to D mode.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

There is a slight shake of the body as the engine cranks, but other than that, there are no vibrations felt inside the cabin. At idle, you will feel some faint vibrations on the centre armrest though. While driving around calmly, the engine noise doesn't bother the occupants of the cabin. However, as the revs climb, the motor makes itself heard a lot more. While it's a likeable sound for enthusiasts, other occupants are likely to complain as things get boomy at higher revs.

Wind noise starts creeping into the cabin above 90 km/h and gets louder with speed. Even so, it’s not excessive at 100-120 km/h. Road noise and tyre noise are average.

Mileage & Fuel Economy

As we are already aware, turbo-petrols are sensitive to throttle input and you will be visiting the fuel station more often if you have a heavy foot. But drive sedately and you should see some acceptable FE figures. The Taisor turbo-petrol AT's ARAI-certified fuel efficiency is 19.86 km/l which is slightly lesser than the Fronx’s 20.01 km/l. The MT variant has a claimed fuel efficiency of 21.18 km/l (Fronx 1.0L MT = 21.5 km/l).

The 1.2L naturally aspirated petrol has an ARAI-certified fuel efficiency of 21.71 km/l for the MT and 22.79 km/l for the AMT.

MID shows this symbol when you're off the throttle and the mild hybrid system battery is charging:

[Omkar]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[Elegant]

I would always prefer this over the fronx, just because of the way it looks. Of course, the parts are going to be expensive when compared to the Maruti counterpart. Even the Orange colour looks fresh and nice

[amol4184]

I have always wondered, from customer point of view, what are my incentives going with Toyota instead of Maruti?

They are the same cars, to my eyes Toyota doesn't even look better, Toyota is sometimes expensive, Toyota has fewer service centers, the showroom experience isn't any better, parts are expensive? And yet Toyota seems to sell a reasonable number of these cars. Why exactly? Just the T badge and warranty or there is something else that I am missing :S Everyone knows the T badge is for the namesake.

[sharmanova]

I would prefer buying Taisor over the Fronx if it had the black color

Originally Posted by Omkar

Driving the Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor 1.0L Turbo-Petrol AT

How on earth is Fronx more fuel efficient than Taisor?? The different is not much, but still how?

[Palio_2005]

Originally Posted by amol4184

I have always wondered, from customer point of view, what are my incentives going with Toyota instead of Maruti?

They are the same cars, to my eyes Toyota doesn't even look better, Toyota is sometimes expensive, Toyota has fewer service centers, the showroom experience isn't any better, parts are expensive? And yet Toyota seems to sell a reasonable number of these cars. Why exactly? Just the T badge and warranty or there is something else that I am missing :S Everyone knows the T badge is for the namesake.

Having owned a Suzuki (S Cross) and Toyota ( Yaris/ Hyryder) - The total experience is very different. Suave sales guys, Clean deals and paperwork, Service Centers are more classier and better equipped.

Suzuki has tried to do this with Nexa but the service experience earlier ( I am not sure now) was not so good. Crowded service stations, cars not handled properly, unnecessary services pushed. Maybe they have changed.

Also it is a mind set of driving a T badge than an S badge. It is also a matter of styling. If you like more subtle mature look, go for T. If you wish to have brash in your face look - Suzuki is your car.

One thing for sure. Being a past "original" T badge owner, T is losing its shine with the rattly, not so well built cars. You don't have the solid indestructible feel in the S badged cars. Cost cutting is highly evident.

[ashpkd]

They should have done some changes inside as well. That infotainment screen looks clunky and dated. If not for the suzuki interiors, which looks similar in most of their vehicles, Taizor exterior looks super cool. I think this would be good for a bit older people (like my parents) who needs an automatic and a bit higher stanced vehicle with ingress/egress a lot easier.

[Rohitthebest]

Looks slightly better than Baleno / Fronx. Although I will never buy a Maruti or a Toyota (if originally this can be called a Toyota) but would certainly like to take a test drive to check how close it comes to the segment leader i20 NLine. Guess we will have to wait a little to see the comparison between both may be including Altroz Racer too.

[Sidd_Kan]

Honestly, I still prefer the looks of Fronx over Taisor. Taisor looks very simple and dull to me. And the color options are okayish. Good after sales service and 3 years warranty & 1lakh Kms coverage is the only plus for Taisor, IMO.

[Phantom 510]

Toyota did a great job with the styling. The front DRL's, rear tail lamp, and alloy wheels lend it an upmarket air. I wish the interiors had a different colour combination.

[Nefariox]

Both have their own uniqueness, but Toyota could have gone a bit Creative on the interiors. The interiors scream SUZUKI!!

[Delta Wing]

Originally Posted by Omkar

Out on the highway, you The engine is pretty relaxed while cruising. It spins at 2,000 rpm while doing 100 km/h and 120 km/h is seen at ~ 2,400 rpm.

Thanks for detailed review as always, Omkar. I see from the Fronx review that it does 100 kph at 2500 rpm, and 120 at 3000. The Taisor does it at 2000 and 2400 respectively - is this because of the 6th gear on the auto transmission while the Fronx reviewed was a manual? If so, for cruising and highway drives, would the automatic be a better choice or could there be other factors to consider?

[JunkyardHunter]

The second badge - job when I know which car to pick (first one being Hycross - Invicto).

Although the same car mechanically, Toyota has added some flair to the exterior, which has made all the difference. Still, they could've gotten a little more creative with he interior.

Rating this review a well deserved 5 stars.