Toyota Urban Cruiser Haider vs Hyundai Creta vs VW Taigun vs Rivals – Specific Comparison

Toyota has become the most recent manufacturer to join the ever-growing compact SUV segment in India, and the Urban Cruiser Hyder is all set to take the segment by storm. After the Honda City E: HEV, the Urban Cruiser Hyder will be only the second car in India to offer a self-charging robust hybrid system in the mainstream segment, and will be the first compact SUV to do so. Apart from the 1.5-litre petrol engine that has a robust Hybrid Assist, the Urban Cruiser hider gets the 1.5-litre K series mild-hybrid engine that also powers the recently launched Maruti Suzuki Brezza. Maruti Suzuki will also soon unveil its version of the urban cruiser Haider, which is expected to launch during the festive season.

The Toyota Urban Cruiser hider is offered with two engine options, both with hybrid assist in some form or the other. The lower variant gets the 1.5-litre K-series petrol engine that is sourced from Maruti Suzuki, and it puts out 101 bhp at 6000 rpm and 135 Nm at 4400 rpm, which are the lowest figures in the segment. This motor gets a mild-hybrid system and it uses a starter motor generator for better fuel savings. This engine option is mated to a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission, and the top trim also gets the option of AWD (all-wheel drive).

The second engine option is also a 1.5-litre petrol engine, but it is a separate unit developed by Toyota, and gets a stronger-hybrid system to go along with it. The combined output of the power unit is slightly higher at 114 bhp and 141 Nm of torque. While the power and torque figures are significantly lower than the top variants of their rivals, electrical assist will mean that a good chunk of torque will be available below the rev range, and the variant will deliver best in class fuel economy figures. Additionally, this variant will also have the option to drive the car only in EV mode, but this will be reserved only for stop-start traffic, as the battery is too small.

Toyota aims to attract buyers in the densely populated segment for the Urban Cruiser Hider, offering best-in-class fuel economy on the robust hybrid variant, and all-wheel drive on the mild-hybrid variant. Having said that, let’s take a look at how the specs of the urban cruiser Hyder compare to its rivals:

Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos

Perhaps two of the most famous compact SUVs on sale in India, the Korean twins have been game changing models for their respective brands. Both the compact SUVs are offered in 3 engine options. At the bottom of the line-up is a 1.5-litre petrol engine that makes 113 bhp at 6300 rpm and 144 Nm of torque at 4500 rpm. This engine is mated to a 6-speed manual or IVT (Intelligent Variable Transmission) automatic gearbox in both the cars. The second engine on offer is the 1353 cc turbo petrol mill which is the most powerful engine out of the three, and makes 138 bhp at 6000 rpm and 242 Nm of torque at 3200 rpm, making it significantly more powerful than the urban cruiser Haider. This unit is mated to a 6-speed manual and 7-speed DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) automatic on the Seltos and 7-speed DCT only on the Creta. Unlike the Hyryder, the Creta and Seltos are also offered under the guise of diesel, and the 1.5-litre unit is mated to a 6-speed manual and 6-speed auto transmission on both compact SUVs, which clocks in at 4000 rpm and 250 rpm. Gives output of 113 bhp. Nm of torque at 2750 rpm. The non-turbo engines on the Seltos are also offered with a 6-speed IMT (clutch manual) gearbox.

In terms of dimensions, the Urban Cruiser Haider is 65 mm longer than the Hyundai Creta and 50 mm longer than the Seltos. The Hyryder sits in the middle of the 2nd Korean SUV in width, and is 5mm wider than the Creta and 5mm narrower than the Seltos. The Seltos is also 10 mm longer than the other two SUVs. Both the Korean SUVs have the same wheelbase, which is 10 mm longer than the urban cruiser Haider.

Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushak

The German Twins are two of the most critically acclaimed compact SUVs in India. Winner of the carandbike Car of the Year award earlier this year, the Volkswagen Taigun was the first car in VW’s India 2.0 strategy, and transformed the market for the German brand after the Polo and Vento started showing their age. Belonging to the same group of companies, Skoda’s Kushaq shares a lot of similarities with the Taigun. They are both linked with the same MQB-A0-IN platform, have the same engine and transmission, and also share many features, with the main difference being the exterior and interior design and after-sales service. The dimensions of both the SUVs are also almost the same, the only difference being the length, which is by a small margin of 4 mm. Both the SUVs are much smaller than the urban cruiser Hyryder, as the Japanese SUV is 140mm longer, 35mm wider and 23mm longer than the German twins. However, the Taigun and Kushak have a longer wheelbase of 51 mm, which translates into good interior space.

Both the compact SUVs are offered with 2 engine options. The lower variant gets a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine that makes 113 bhp at 5500 rpm and a healthy 178 Nm at 4500 rpm. The higher variant gets a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine, which also gets clever cylinder deactivation technology that shuts down 2 of the 4 cylinders when power demand is low, thereby improving fuel efficiency in city traffic conditions it happens. Power output is rated at 148 bhp at 6000 rpm, and the engine churns out 250 Nm of torque at 3500 rpm, which is the highest among all petrol engines in this segment.

Tata Harrier

The Tata Harrier is the only compact SUV from an Indian manufacturer that is currently available for sale in our market. The Harrier gets only one engine option, a 2.0-litre diesel engine that makes best-in-segment 168 bhp at 3750 rpm and 350 Nm of torque at 2500 rpm, and comes with 6-speed manual and automatic transmission options. . The Tata Harrier is also the largest compact SUV in the market, and is 233 mm longer, 99 mm wider and 71 mm longer than the Toyota Urban Cruiser Harrier, while its wheelbase is 141 mm longer.

MG Astor

The MG ZS EV, the ICE (internal combustion engine) powered counterpart of the MG Astor was launched late last year, and is known to be feature packed. The proportions of the compact SUV make it look small in comparison to other SUVs in the segment, but in fact it sits right in the middle of the pack in terms of dimensions. The MG Astor is 42mm shorter in length and has a 15mm shorter wheelbase than the Hyryder, but is 14mm wider and 15mm longer than the Japanese car. The Astor also comes with two engine options, both are petrol. The lower variant gets a 1.5-litre petrol engine that makes 108 bhp at 6000 rpm and 144 Nm of torque at 4400 rpm. This engine is available with either a 5-speed manual or a CVT (continuously variable transmission) automatic gearbox. The higher variant gets a 1.4-litre turbo petrol unit that makes 138 bhp at 5600 rpm and 220 Nm of torque at 3600 rpm, and is only available with a 6-speed automatic transmission.