Buying a used Toyota Urban Cruiser: what to look out for

GOOD FOR: Spacious cabin, easy to maintain

The second product in India to come out of the Maruti Suzuki-Toyota partnership, the Toyota Urban Cruiser, is essentially a rebadged Maruti Vitara Brezza that was on sale between 2020 and 2022. The compact SUV stands out for its comfortable and spacious cabin, frugal engine and user-friendliness, making it an ideal second-hand car for the family. But here are a few things to consider before you make that purchase.

Visually, the Urban Cruiser and Vitara Brezza can be differentiated from the front; the Toyota has a different bumper and grille design. On the inside, while the Urban Cruiser has brown upholstery on the seats, the Brezza dons black.

Toyota Urban Cruiser powertain

The Toyota Urban Cruiser comes with a single 105hp, 138Nm, 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine. Gearbox options include a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed torque converter automatic. While the performance is nothing to write home about, both powertrains stand out for their smoothness and efficiency. We haven’t tested the fuel economy, but Toyota claims the Urban Cruiser manual will do 17.03kpl, while the automatic returns a higher 18.76kpl, thanks to the mild-hybrid tech.

If your usage is primarily in the city with the occasional highway trip, choose the automatic for the convenience and stress-free driving it offers. Do note, though, that it won’t necessarily be as efficient as the manual, despite the claimed figures. The manual, meanwhile, would also be cheaper to buy, and it makes sense if your commutes do not involve lots of traffic.

Toyota Urban Cruiser trims and features

As for variants, Toyota offers both powertrains in three trims—Mid, High and Premium.These are in line with the Brezza’s VXi, ZXi and ZXi+ trims; there’s no base-spec trim like the Brezza LXi. As such, even the Mid and High versions are well-kitted with features such as LED lights, covers for the 16-inch steel wheels, a 2-DIN audio system with Bluetooth, steering-mounted controls, keyless entry and go, and auto climate control.

The top-spec Premium trim adds LED fog lamps, 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an auto-dimming inside rear-view mirror, cruise control and automatic wipers. It’s worth going for the mid-spec High trim as it offers the best balance between price and features. You still get LED lights, alloy wheels and the touchscreen, which should be just fine for most buyers.

Toyota Urban Cruiser maintainence

Like the Brezza, the Toyota Urban Cruiser has proven to be reliable and easy to maintain, with spare parts readily available. The Toyota also benefits from a longer standard warranty of 3 years/1,00,000km and has a higher perceived badge value. It’s also worth going for a model that has the extended warranty package, as it’ll still be covered to date. Finally, the Toyota seems to hold its value better in the used market than the Vitara Brezza, so even if you pay a bit more, you will get a decent return on your investment when you resell it.

What to look out for in a used Toyota Urban Cruiser?

Body damage

Before purchasing, it’s worth inspecting the condition of the body panels, lights, mirrors and alloys for any damage as some of these parts can be pricey. For example, a replacement set for the LED headlights will set you back around Rs 20,000.

Suspension wear

It’s likely that owners would’ve driven it over rough roads and potholes, and Maruti’s suspension and body shell do not take well to a beating. A few owners have faced issues with the suspension getting worn out. Take a test drive and check for sounds from the suspension. If the car crashes excessively in bumps, this is a sign of worn-out bushings.

Touchscreen

The Urban Cruiser uses Maruti’s older SmartPlay infotainment system, and it’s known to have issues. Before you buy, ensure the system works as intended, your phone pairs with it seamlessly, and there’s no lag.

Also worth knowing

It’s worth listening out for any rattles coming from interior panels like the dashboard and door cards on your test drive. And remember, there’s no diesel option with the Urban Cruiser. 

Second hand Toyota Urban Cruiser price and resale value

Urban Cruisers are holding their value well in the used market, but regardless of the variant, don’t spend over Rs 8 lakh as you’d much rather buy a brand-new SUV for not much more. There isn’t much demand, so you can haggle quite a bit to bring down the price.

Also see:

Buying a used Kia Carens: what to look out for

Buying a used Skoda Kushaq: what to look out for