Today, the Brussels Motor Show (AutoSalon/Salon de l’Auto 2025) is playing host to the all-new Toyota Urban Cruiser. This rather swish-looking compact SUV made its first public appearance at the show. Below, we look at some of its main selling points.
The Urban Cruiser is Toyota’s latest compact electric SUV. As mentioned above, the photography shows it to be a rather pretty-looking model, which should help it establish itself in the highly competitive European BEV market.
The Design
This compact EV boasts an Urban Tech-influenced design across its exterior, which is mated to a “Hammerhead”-looking style at the front. Complementing this is the slim headlight unit, a distinguishing feature of the manufacturer’s newer models, and a wrap-around rear light bar. Overall, this compact SUV conveys the impression that it would be as comfortable off the road as it would be on.
The Urban Cruiser sits in the compact SUV sector, and sizewise is only slightly larger than the Yaris Cross. One of the benefits of its smallish size is it has a small turning circle of 5.2m.
The car’s wheelbase is 2,700mm, which means that is has surprisingly generous interior space. It also has a sliding rear seat arrangement, which provides excellent rear seat adjustments, in fact, according to Toyota, the leg room can be extended to the point where it rivals larger D-segment models.
The SUV feel is reinforced with a horizontal, low-set instrument panel and a high seating position, which results in great all-around views when behind the wheel. Another nice feature of the Urban Cruiser is its lighting system, which can cycle through twelve colour settings.
The car is built on a new, strong, and lightweight platform specifically designed for electric battery vehicles. This new and clever design forgoes the need for cross members in the floors, creating more space for the battery without negatively impacting interior space.
Two lithium-iron-phosphate battery pack options are available. A 49-kWh battery with an output of 106kW/142bhp/144 DIN hp will be exclusive to the front-wheel drive, while a 61-kWh battery will be available in both front and (according to the market) all-wheel drive Urban Cruiser versions.
In the front-wheel drive format, the 61-kWh battery produces 128kW/172bhp/174 DIN hp. With the All-Wheel Drive model, the power is upped to 135kW/182bhp/184 DIN hp. The All-Wheel-Drive model also gets an additional 48kW motor on its rear axle, Trail and Snow modes to help with slippery conditions and Downhill Assist Control functionality.
Safety is another significant selling point of the Urban Cruiser. It comes with a comprehensive suite of features, which includes adaptive cruise control, pre-collision warnings and a lane departure system.
Elevating the Urban Cruiser’s visual wows are a 10.25-inch driver’s combi meter and a 10.1-inch multimedia display, which has been seamlessly integrated into a sleek, single unit. It also boasts straightforward smartphone integration for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems.
In addition to the standard equipment, there is also a range of premium options, which include a 360-degree camera, driver’s electric seat adjustment, a fixed sunroof, and a JBL sound system.
At the time of writing, we have no details of what most people will want to know: the range of the models, estimated charge times, and the price. No doubt, this information will be available in the dedicated motoring press, and if we do a follow-up feature or review of the car, we will be sure to include it.
The Toyota Urban Cruiser will be launched in the UK later this years. To stay updated, visit www.toyota.co.uk.
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