Toyota to bring in compact SUV 'Urban Cruiser' during festive season

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) on Tuesday said it is entering compact SUV segment in the country with the launch of 'Urban Cruiser' model during the upcoming festive season.

The sub-four metre model, based on Maruti Suzuki India's Vitara Brezza, will compete in a segment which has been witnessing robust sales growth despite a challenging business environment.

Besides Vitara Brezza, the model would compete with the likes of Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon and upcoming products from Kia Motors and Nissan.

The Urban Cruiser would endear itself to the discerning customers who are seeking more from a compact SUV, TKM said in a statement.

The company will launch the compact SUV in its India line-up during the festive season to cater to the growing demand for compact SUVs in India, it added.

"With a customer-first approach, TKM has always endeavoured to fulfil the aspirations of its customers with timely introduction of new products and the Toyota Urban Cruiser is another such effort to satisfy the evolving customer needs," TKM Senior Vice President (Sales and Services) Naveen Soni said.

The company hopes that the Urban Cruiser gives it an opportunity to welcome a new set of customers who not only aspire to own a Toyota SUV early in life, but would also like to experience Toyota's global standards of sales and after-sales services, he added.

In March 2018, Toyota Motor Corp and Suzuki Motor Corp had concluded a basic agreement for supplying hybrid and other vehicles to each other in the Indian market.

As part of the arrangement, TKM already sources Baleno from Maruti Suzuki India and sells it as Glanza after making certain changes in design and features.