Photos by Kartik Gilatar
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that’s true, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor is a love letter to the Maruti Suzuki Fronx, neatly wrapped with a Toyota bow. With the market already buzzing about the Fronx, one must wonder: is the Taisor just a well-dressed doppelganger, or does it bring its own panache to the party?
Badge engineering is not new to India. We have seen the Daewoo Kalos being sold as the Chevrolet Aveo, Renault Logan as the Mahindra Verito, Daewoo Matiz as the Chevrolet Spark and many such examples with MG rebadging our beloved homegrown Tata Indica as the MG City Rover in the UK.
Toyota has taken the Fronx’s handsome, crossover-esque stance and given it a family facelift. The Urban Cruiser Taisor sports a honeycomb grille and DRLs that nod to its elder sibling, the Urban Cruiser Hyryder. It looks every bit like a Toyota from the front.
Move to the sides, and the Taisor sports 16-inch machine-cut alloys, a five-twin-spoke design that flexes a bit more muscle than its Maruti counterpart. The rear, however, doesn’t stray too far from home. The lightbar stays, but the tail lamps receive a chic C-signature makeover. And for those who love to make a statement, the flagship orange hue will turn heads, with red, white, silver, and grey standing by as more subdued suitors. Dual-tone options add a dash of drama for those inclined.
The dashboard, with its floating touchscreen, doesn’t do any favours for visibility, but hey, it’s a clean design. Maruti’s reputation for durable, if unremarkable, interiors persists here. The seats, however, are a triumph—comfortable for both short hops and long hauls. The rear seats are accessible, but headroom and shoulder room are a squeeze for three. The 308-litre boot is practical enough if you don’t mind lifting your luggage over the high lip.
Under the hood, the Taisor offers two powertrains from Maruti’s stable: the reliable 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and the peppy 1.0-litre Boosterjet turbo petrol. While the 12-litre should be adequate for daily commutes, it is also offered with the CNG for eco-conscious buyers.
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So, is the Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor worth it? If you fancy a Fronx with a bit of a facelift and a badge that whispers ‘Toyota,’ the answer is a resounding YES.
AUTODATA
Toyota Urban Cruiser TaisorPOWERTRAIN
Displacement:
Max Power:
Max Torque:
Transmission:
998cc, I3, turbo-petrol/1498cc, I4, petrol
99 bhp@5500 rpm/89 bhp@6000 rpm
15.05 kgm@2000-4500 rpm/11.52 kgm@4400 rpm
5MT/6AT / 5MT/5AMT
TYRES
F/R: 195/60 R16
DIMENSIONS
L/W/H (mm):
Wheelbase:
Ground Clearance:
Kerb Weight:
Fuel Capacity:
3995/1765/1550
2520 mm
190 mm
965-1060 kg
37 litres
PRICE
Rs 7.73 lakh to 12.87 lakh (ex-showroom)