Earlier this month, we reported news that Toyota is set to launch another crossover called the Urban Cruiser, this time in India. It is a rebadged Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza which is the sub-4-metre little brother of the global Suzuki Vitara.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd, Toyota’s Indian subsidiary has released pictures and bookings for the little crossover on their official website. The Urban Cruiser is Toyota’s second partnership model with Maruti Suzuki after the Baleno-based Glanza.

Hardcore Toyota fans might have heard of the Urban Cruiser’s name before which was last used in Europe between 2008 and 2014.

Unlike the Glanza which looks similar to the Baleno except with a Toyota badge, the Urban Cruiser gets a very distinct – almost Fortuner-like front design to really make it stand out against its S-badged cousin.

Underneath, it’s still a Suzuki with the Urban Cruiser sharing the same powerplant as the Vitara Brezza. It is a 1.5-litre Suzuki K-Series 4-pot that is available with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed torque-converter automatic.

That engine is capable of 105 PS and 138 Nm. All automatic variants get mild-hybrid technology as standard with the aid of a small lithium-ion battery and an integrated starter generator (ISG).

This mild-hybrid tech is also found on the Suzuki which has idle start/stop, brake energy regeneration, and torque assist features.

To keep things very much urban in the Urban Cruiser, there are features like push start/stop, automatic climate control, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, and Apple Car Play/Android Auto support.

Prices have yet to be announced but it is expected to be slightly more expensive than the Vitara Brezza since Toyota is positioning this as a premium model. It will be built at Maruti Suzuki’s plant in Gurgaon, India alongside the Vitara Brezza.

As for Malaysia, there is a slim chance that UMW Toyota Motor will bring this over. The sub-4-metre market is unique to India and plus, we have the upcoming Perodua D55L. It wouldn’t make sense for Toyota to start cannibalising sales of its partner’s next golden goose before it even starts.

What do you think of the Toyota Urban Cruiser, do you like the way it looks and could it work here?