The SUV segment is booming, and for good reason. The only drawback with these big, bulky machines is fuel economy. Toyota brings a solution with its Strong-Hybrid technology in the Urban Cruiser Hyryder that promises to deliver up to 28 kilometres to a litre. Well, the automaker achieved that under ideal conditions on a test track. But is that true for real-world situations as well? We used the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder with the Strong Hybrid tech for about a month to get the answer.
We all know that the Hyryder is Toyota’s iteration of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, and both share the same Suzuki C-platform. There’s hardly any difference in the dimensions and silhouette, and I don’t think either of them stands out dramatically. However, I feel that the Hyryder has a relatively better and more seamless appearance, thanks to its resemblance to some of the global Toyota products.
The story is similar inside as well. The cabin is a Suzuki design, nothing remarkable about it but the practicality quotient is top-notch. You get everything from a big touchscreen for the infotainment system, wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, steering-mounted controls, a wireless smartphone charger, and a couple of USB ports. The boot space is a bit of a compromise at 255 litres as the battery eats up 100 litres of space in the back. Thankfully, the 60:40 rear seat folding adds some flexibility to it.
The cabin comfortably accommodates five adults with ample storage spaces. The front sliding armrest is a useful touch, but the seats’ construction and thickness/density could have been better. The adjustability, however, makes things a bit more comfortable; one can at least have a desirable driving position here. I don’t mind manual controls for seats, but an electronically adjustable driver seat could have elevated the convenience. After all, it is a standard fitment in this segment now.
The rear seating is spacious and comfortable for three adults. However, the centrally mounted rear AC vents can be obstructed by the middle passenger; roof- or B-pillar-mounted vents might have been more effective. And let’s not forget the highlight here, the full-size panoramic sunroof, which adds an element of airiness and luxury to the cabin. Well, I’m not a fan of this feature, but I’m sure it is a dealmaker for many customers. The Head-Up Display (HUD) is a nice addition with customisable positioning and information.
Overall, the space inside the Hyryder is its highlight, and the cabin design is quite practical and loaded with features. Even the quality of materials used is not that bad; it could’ve been perfect with slightly better front seats.
At the heart of the Hyryder is its hybrid powertrain, featuring a 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle engine that pushes the thermal efficiency to about 40 per cent or a little bit more than that (about 10-15 per cent more than the traditional auto-cycle). The strong hybrid system is the courtesy of a 0.76-kilowatt-hour Lithium-ion battery pack and a motor that is good for almost 80 horsepower and 141 Newton-metres.
The combined output of 114bhp and 141Nm is adequate for most driving situations, though not particularly exciting. But the gain is huge on fuel consumption as you can drive a significant part of your city rides on electricity. I averaged around 17.4 kilometres to a litre, which is insane considering the Hyryder’s size and segment. I drove the car for over 2,300 kilometres within a month, and most of that was covered on highways and expressways, barely switching to the EV mode.
I know a few people who have owned the Hyryder (have suggested it to a few myself) for a fair amount of time and are getting between 18-19 kmpl for city commuting. A few owners said they’re getting over 25 kmpl by going light on the pedal, which is mind-boggling. It also has a dedicated button for the EV mode, but you don’t really need it because the hybrid system switches between the EV and ICE modes seamlessly. And when it switches to the ICE mode, you’ll hear a grumble from the three-cylinder engine. It isn’t a typical thrum and there aren’t any vibrations to speak of either, but this low-frequency hum will break the silence of the full-electric mode. Next to the EV-mode-button, you have the drive modes button to go from Eco to Normal and then into Power, which sharpens the throttle response a little bit. It’s not something that’s going to make a huge difference in the performance while bringing the fuel efficiency down as well.
The e-Drive gearbox is not a very exciting unit but serves the purpose well with seamless transitions. I’ve been driving the Urban Cruiser Hyryder for some time now, and it serves the purpose, but there is no fun to be had from behind the wheel. When it comes to driver engagement, it doesn’t feel as good as the Kia Seltos or the Volkswagen Taigun. But the dynamics, otherwise, are okay; the suspension is nicely tuned, and it absorbs the bumps quite decently. The chassis is fairly good, and it ensures stability at high-speed, which was quite helpful on expressways. The Hyryder has all-wheel disc brakes, and the stopping power is strong. While slowing down, particularly at low speeds, you can hear an electric whine when you depress the brake, as the motor generator converts kinetic energy to electricity to recharge the Lithium-ion battery and aids in stopping as well.
The Suzuki C-platform has scored 4 stars in crashworthiness on the Global NCAP platform, and there are other strong reasons to believe that the Hyryder should perform well enough in safety. LED projector headlamps, six airbags, ABS with EBD, and Vehicle Stability Control come standard with all Hybrid variants. Rear parking camera and sensors are also standard, while the surround view feature comes in the top-spec V trim. The picture quality of cameras is not that impressive, but they are pretty useful for manoeuvring the SUV in tight spaces. Further adding to the ease of driving are Hill Hold Control, Hill Descent Assist, Tyre Pressure Monitoring, and Cruise Control.
The Hyryder proves itself as a nice family car and an even better highway cruiser. I didn’t face any problems with the SUV during my ownership, and there were no rattles as such, despite the unit being damaged a bit from the left side when I received it. Costing between INR 1.9 and 2.2 million, the Strong-hybrid version of the Toyota Hyryder definitely makes a strong case in the Compact SUV segment.