- The Fronx SUV will become the fourth model from Maruti Suzuki to be rebadged as a Toyota car after the Brezza, Baleno and Ertiga.
Toyota Motor is all set to launch its first model this year with yet another rebadged Maruti car. The Japanese auto giant will introduce a new SUV based on Maruti Suzuki Fronx. The carmaker had recently trademarked the Urban Cruiser Taisor nameplate in India, which is expected to be the name for the upcoming SUV. The Taisor, scheduled for India launch on April 3, will help Toyota tap into the small SUV segment in India currently ruled by the likes of Tata Punch, Maruti Fronx and Hyundai Exter.
The Urban Cruiser Taisor will become the fourth Maruti car to be rebadged by Toyota Motor in India. Earlier, the carmaker used to sell the Urban Cruiser SUV based on Maruti Brezza, which was later discontinued. It currently sells two more models based on Maruti vehicles. The latest Maruti car to be rebadged by Toyota is the Ertiga MPV and is sold as Rumion. The longest-running rebadged Maruti car by Toyota is the Glanza, based on Baleno hatchback.
Maruti Fronx is based on the carmaker’s best-selling model Baleno. Launched last year, the Fronx appears as a bolder version of the hatchback with SUV-inspired styling and features. Expect Toyota to retain most of the design elements, barring change in logo and name badge. Few elements like the grille, bumper and alloy designs on the Urban Cruiser Taisor is expected to be slightly different from Fronx.
The interior of the Urban Cruiser Taisor will also be similar to that of Fronx. The Maruti SUV features a 9-inch infotainment screen, 360 degree camera and Head-up Display (HuD) among others. Feature list is also expected to include wireless charging, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, leather-wrapped steering wheel and more. In terms of safety, Fronx offers up to six airbags, ABD with EBD, ESP, Hill Assist and rear parking sensors. Expect the Urban Cruiser Taisor to offer all these.
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Under the hood, Toyota is expected to use both the 1.0-litre BoosterJet tubro petrol as well as the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engines for the Urban Cruiser Taisor. The turbo unit, which will be a first for any Toyota car in India, can churn out 99 bhp of power and 147 Nm of peak torque. The power output of the 1.2-litre unit stands at 88 bhp and comes with Maruti’s smart hybrid system. Expect Toyota to offer at least one variant of the Taisor with hybrid powertrain. The transmission job is expected to be handled by either a 5-speed manual, a 5-speed AMT or a 6-speed torque converter.
First Published Date: 18 Mar 2024, 10:12 AM IST
