THE HYPE IS REAL

Toyota's mouthful of a hybrid midsize SUV makes a bold statement

- Rivan RS

Why Toyota chose Urban Cruiser Hyryder is a question many will ask. It's a bit of a mouthful, right? The answer is manyfold. There are many brilliant aspects of something from Toyota's portfolio thrown into this one, which makes sense as the midsize-SUV space is cutthroat. There are so many options in that space. there are six, seven when the reborn Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara arrives about a month from now and the Japanese brand has to stand out. By bringing its hybrid technology to mass market segments, Toyota hopes to achieve that.

What the company has also managed to achieve rather well is that one look at the Urban Cruiser Hyryder will tell you it belongs to Toyota's stable. It has musculature, but it's well-melded to the flowing lines and slimming details, such as the LED DRLs, the all-LED tail lights, and the grille. Speaking of the grille, that carbon fibre-like finish is gorgeous. The strong yet curvy theme continues along the side, and the 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels also add a touch of sportiness.

I quite liked this colour of blue that our Hyryder Hybrid was finished in, and the contrast black roof accentuates the downward flowing lines towards the rear. The Urban Cruiser Hyryder and Hybrid badges are prominently displayed, but the bit of chrome used for the variant badge is even larger, which is contrary to current trends, with some carmakers forgoing one altogether. That the black plastic cladding is limited to the bottom few inches while retaining the squat and solid stance, is superb, and definitely shows off that Toyota SUV lineage while earning that Cruiser bit of its nameplate.