Toyota Urban Cruiser 61.1 kWh FWD

Overview

Making its debut in 2025, the Toyota Urban Cruiser is a fresh-faced challenger in the fiercely competitive compact electric SUV market. This 61.1 kWh front-wheel-drive model is Toyota's new, practical EV designed for family life, sharing its underpinnings with the Suzuki eVX. It aims to blend Toyota's reputation for reliability with zero-emission motoring. With a starting price in Europe around €36,990, it's positioned as an accessible entry into electric home-to-school transport, offering a solid, no-frills package for buyers looking to make the switch to electric.

What's New for 2025?

Everything! The Urban Cruiser is an all-new electric model for 2025, reviving a familiar nameplate for a completely different purpose. It represents a significant new chapter for Toyota, born from its collaboration with Suzuki to tackle the European electric SUV segment. This model isn't an update; it's a ground-up new vehicle built on a dedicated EV platform. For European buyers, it introduces a new, more affordable option in Toyota's growing electric lineup, slotting in as a practical and budget-conscious alternative to some of its pricier rivals.

Design & Exterior

The Urban Cruiser looks the business with a proper modern SUV stance. It features chunky wheel arches, sharp, creased body lines, and a futuristic front-end with slim LED lighting instead of a traditional grille. It’s got that tough, ready-for-anything vibe that buyers love. Dimensionally, it’s perfectly sized for city life, measuring 4285 mm in length, 1800 mm in width, and 1635 mm in height. This FWD version keeps the look clean and functional, focusing on aerodynamic efficiency to help it slice through the air and maximize range on the motorway.

Interior, Tech & Cargo

Inside, the Urban Cruiser is all about functional, durable design. The cabin offers a straightforward layout with what are expected to be hard-wearing materials, built to withstand the rigours of family use. There's seating for five, and the 2700 mm wheelbase promises decent legroom for passengers in the back. Tech-wise, a central infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will likely be standard. However, practicality takes a hit with cargo space; the boot is a rather tight 238 litres, expanding to just 562 litres with the seats down, and there's no frunk for extra storage.

Performance & Driving Experience

Don't expect this to be a traffic-light rocket ship, but it has enough poke for daily duties. The single Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor sends 128 kW and 193 Nm of torque to the front wheels, getting you from 0-100 km/h in a respectable 8.7 seconds. The driving experience is tuned for comfort and efficiency, making it a relaxed companion for city commutes and school runs. The FWD setup is predictable and easy to manage, while various regenerative braking modes should allow for some one-pedal-style driving to help claw back energy in stop-start traffic.

Range, Battery & Charging

This Urban Cruiser trim is fitted with a 59.8 kWh usable battery pack, delivering a real-world range estimated by Green Cars Compare at around 362 kilometres, with an excellent efficiency of 6.05 km/kWh. For charging, it uses the standard European CCS Type 2 port. At home on an AC charger, it can pull up to 11 kW. However, when you need a quick top-up, its DC fast charging speed is a bit of a letdown, maxing out at just 55 kW on its 400V architecture, which is slower than many modern rivals.

Safety & Driver-Assistance Features

While the 2025 Urban Cruiser has not yet been crash-tested by Euro NCAP, it's expected to arrive with a comprehensive suite of safety tech. Toyota will almost certainly equip it with its 'Safety Sense' package as standard. This typically includes a pre-collision system that can detect pedestrians and cyclists, full-range adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are also likely to be included, ensuring a solid baseline of active and passive safety features for peace of mind.

Warranty & Maintenance Coverage

Owners can expect Toyota's solid European warranty coverage. This typically includes a 3-year/100,000 km general warranty, which can be extended annually up to 10 years via the 'Toyota Relax' program by servicing the car at an official dealer. Critically, the EV battery is covered for 8 years or 160,000 km, guaranteeing it will retain at least 70% of its original capacity. With fewer moving parts than a petrol car, maintenance should be simple and more affordable over the long term, adding to its appeal as a cost-effective family vehicle.