Toyota India launched its new subcompact SUV, the Urban Cruiser. This is essentially the rebadged version of the best-selling Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza with Toyota specific cosmetic changes.

Exterior:

    The Urban Cruiser borrows its front grille from the Fortuner but carries forward the LED headlamps from the Vitara Brezza without any changes. The front bumper however is completely redesigned to give the Urban Cruiser a unique look. The sides and rear, however, don't have any changes except for the Toyota and Urban Cruiser branding on the tailgate. The 16” alloy wheels to are the same as on the Vitara Brezza.

Interior:

    The interior of

the Urban Cruiser gets even fewer changes when compared to the Brezza. The design, layout and materials are exactly the same and the only differentiation will be Brown colour seat upholstery.

Variants:

Similar to the Vitara Brezza, the Urban Cruiser will be available in three variants; Mid, High and Premium.

    Based on the Vitara Brezza, the new Urban Cruiser MID variant offers the following standard features:

• LED headlamps with DRLs
• LED tail lamps
• Auto climate control
• Tilt-adjustable steering wheel
• Push-button start with the smart key
• 2DIN audio system
• Steering mounted audio controls
• Power windows
• Electric ORVMs
• Reverse sensors

Apart from these, the HIGH variant will include the following additional features:

• 16” alloy wheels
• Auto folding ORVMs
• Roof rails
• 7” touchscreen system
• Android Auto & Apple car play
• Reverse camera
• Cruise control
• Rear wiper & defogger

Additional features on the top-spec PREMIUM variant will include:

• LED fog lamps
• 16” diamond cut alloys
• Auto headlamps & wipers
• Auto-dimming IRVM
• Front and rear armrests

Safety:

       Safety features on the Toyota Urban Cruiser BS6 include:

• ABS with EBD
• Dual airbags
• ISOFIX child seat mounts
• Pretensioner seatbelts
• Engine immobilizer
• Hill hold on AT variants

Powertrains:

       The Urban Cruiser will carry forward the same 1.5L K-series petrol engine from the Vitara Brezza producing 105bhp power & 138nm torque through either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed Torque converter automatic gearbox. The Automatic variants will also receive mild hybrid system with auto engine start/stop and regenerative braking.

Launch & price (Ex-showroom):

• Toyota Urban Cruiser Mid Variant MT - Rs 8.4 lakhs
• Toyota Urban Cruiser Mid Variant AT – 9.8 lakhs
• Toyota Urban Cruiser High Variant – MT – Rs 9.15 lakhs
• Toyota Urban Cruiser High Variant AT 10.65 lakhs
• Toyota Urban Cruiser Premium MT - Rs 9.8 lakhs
• Toyota Urban Cruiser Premium AT - Rs 11.3 lakhs

The new Toyota Urban Cruiser will be priced at a slight premium over the Vitara Brezza and it will compete against the Tata Nexon, Ford Ecosport, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Mahindra XUV300 and the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza itself.

The popular performance version of the Octavia- the RS has a new version- the RS 245 and straight away, it has some striking numbers. Starting with the price- at 35.99 Lakhs, the introductory price tag is quite brave to be honest. But again, only 200 units of this car will be available in India so yes, it does have that special touch to it.

Talking of more numbers- the RS 245 is equipped with the 2.0 Litre TSI petrol unit that churns out 245 PS and 370 NM of torque. Connected to a 7 Speed automatic Dual Clutch Gearbox compared to

the earlier version that had a 6- speed unit, the RS 245 is expected to leave behind its predecessor in terms of acceleration as it now crossed 100 Kmph in 6.6 seconds. Power is also 15 PS more compared to the older model. Skoda claims that the top speed of the Rs 245 is limited to 250 kmph. We told you, these are some really striking numbers.

While the performance has changed, the exterior remains the same mostly. A sports butterfly grille, gloss black touches, projector headlamps, LED DRLs, LED tail lights, sporty tailpipes, the sport vRS badging, 18- inch glossy Black Dual Tone alloy wheels make this car very appealing to look at. We the like the way it looks like a normal sedan but has some prominent highlights to it that don’t scream performance but when you need it, it is all at your disposal. So much, that it will surprise many!

The interior does look like a normal Skoda Octavia apart from some exception like RS seats with perforated leather and red stitching, 3- spoke flat bottom steering wheel with paddle shift. LED ambient lighting, an 8 –inch touch screen infotainment system with Apple Car Play and Android Auto, digital instrument panel, dual-zone Climatronic air conditioning suggest that comfort and convenience is in no way compromised for the sake of performance. Some optional features include Black Alcantara sport seats and a 12- way electrically adjustable driver and passenger seats.

The Skoda Octavia RS 245 also comes with loads of safety tech like ABS, ESC, Mechanical brake assist (MBA), multi- collision brake (MCB), adaptive front- light system (AFS), Anti- slip regulation (ASR) and Electronic differential lock (ESR). So, this car then does add a lot to the confidence.

Available in five colours like Race Blue, Magic Black, Rallye Green, Corrida Red, and Candy White. The Skoda Octavia RS 245 is a highly desirable performance car for enthusiasts who want to drive tastefully.

The Nissan Magnite production version was revealed a couple weeks ago. This new compact SUV is going to be the Make-it or Break-it product for Nissan India. Now we have got the details of the variants and features split up of the new compact SUV. Here are some clear details on what to expect:

Variants:

The Magnite will be sold in four variants, namely the XE, XL, XV and the XV premium. All variants except for the entry-level XE can be ordered with either the 1.0L non turbo or the turbo petrol engine. Let's take a look at the features on offer:

XE variant:

• 16” wheels

• Dual
  

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• Dual tone bumpers

• Roof rails

• All power windows

• 3.5” LCD display

• Dual airbags

• ABS with EBD

• Reverse sensors

• Central locking

• Pretensioner seatbelts

XL variant:

• Electric ORVMs with auto fold

• Auto climate control

• 6 speaker audio system

• Steering mounted audio controls

XV (High):

• 16” Dual tone alloy wheels

• LED DRLs

• LED fog lamps

• 8” touchscreen

• Wireless Android auto & Apple carplay

• 7” TFT colour instrument cluster

• Voice commands

• Reverse camera

• Smart key access

• Push button start

• 60:40 split folding rear seat

XV (Premium):

• LED bi-projector headlamps

• Cruise control

• 360 degree surround View camera

• Tire pressure monitoring

• All black interior

XV (Premium) optional:

• Dual tone roof

Technology pack

The Nissan Magnite will also be available with an optional Technology Pack on the XV and XV Premium variants. Features on this package include:

• Wireless smartphone charging

• Air purifier

• Ambient mood lighting

• Puddle lamps

• JBL speakers

Exterior

The production-spec Nissan Magnite seems to retain most of the concept’s design elements including the large grille, the Sharp creases and the funky alloy wheels. It has even the same sculpted bonnet and angular headlights. Since the Magnite was originally meant to be launched as a Datsun, the grille bears resemblance to the other Datsun models.

The side profile looks muscular with prominent body cladding and large wheel arches which seem to dwarf the 16” wheels. The higher spec variants also receive a dual-tone roof option, blacked-out pillars and silver roof rails. At the back, the Magnite sports sharp looking tail lamps which resemble those on the Triber's, a clean tail gate and a dual tone bumper. The Magnite is also set to be the first model in India to sport the new Nissan logo.

Interior

The interior too is quite close to the concept with a large, centrally mounted 8” touchscreen and layered dashboard with hexagonal AC vents.

Powertrain

The Nissan Magnite will be available with two engine options. The first will be the 1.0L Energy series, 3 cyl Naturally aspirated engine from the Renault Triber, producing 72PS Power through a 5 speed manual gearbox. The second powertrain will be a new 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol unit producing around 100PS through either a 5 speed manual or CVT automatic gearbox.

The XE variant will be available only with the 1.0L naturally aspirated engine.

Pricing and launch:

The new Nissan Magnite will be launched with pricing by early December 2020. The Magnite is also likely to be priced very aggressively with expected starting price of Rs.5.5L ex showroom for the entry level non turbo variant. The fully loaded top spec variant is expected to be priced equivalent to the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, one of its chief rivals. When launched, the Magnite will go against the Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Ford Ecosport, Mahindra XUV300 and the Honda WRV as well. 

Stay tuned for further updates on the Nissan Magnite.