Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder vs Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

7 Ratings

5 Ratings

The car drives very well

I have the top-end V variant with a strong Hybrid engine. I bought it in November 2023. I’ll start with the praise first. The car drives very well. The instantaneous torque from the electric motors is something no pure ICE can provide. The CVT gearbox just works; you wouldn’t feel any sudden jerks from upshifts or downshifts. Combined with the electric motors, it just makes life so much easier in city traffic. It’s no slouch on the highways either, yes, there’s the CVT rubber band effect and the car builds speed slower in the mid-high range compared to Turbo Petrols, but what it lacks in a thrilling drive, it more than makes up for in ride quality and a stellar fuel efficiency. The car feels very planted on highways, even on triple-digit speeds, and the steering has nice heft to it based on how fast you’re going. The suspensions are also perfectly tuned, not too soft, not too hard. There’s little body roll, much less than Cretas or some other bigger SUVs. The disc brakes on all four wheels, combined with regenerative braking, make me feel confident about control. I love the 3D parking camera view, although maybe this isn’t such a big thing in 2025 anymore, but really, this is just amazing to have at my disposal for tight parking situations. Something I didn’t realize until I drove our old Creta, the hill descent and ascent controls are also so reassuring, because my street merges to the main road with a steep slope, and often I need to stop at the junction before merging. The car never rolls back even if I lift my foot off the brake. Little things like the wireless CarPlay, ventilated seats, and auto-dimming ORVM are such nice-to-have quality of life improvements. On to the negatives. This isn’t an enthusiast’s car. So, you’ll not have gear shifts to do, and the acceleration and power delivery are kinda linear, not something car enthusiasts are happy with. I could do away with the panoramic sunroof, because I find it lets heat seep into the cabin, especially with the thin cloth blind, which feels very, very low quality. If it were possible, I would have it replaced with something aftermarket that can block more light and heat. This is a problem for this car, the AC has to be on its full capacity during summer to combat the greenhouse effect. Another thing that I dislike is the boot space. The battery placement limits you from putting multiple large trolleys comfortably in the car. These are the only two major complaints that I have. All in all, I would buy it again if I had to buy another car today.

Efficient but pricy

Took a test drive for 10 kms on the national highway, the car engine is powerful in normal mode also, and you can drive easily in EV mode in the city. The only drawback is 2nd row seats are not comfortable for a long drive as they don't recline more than 5.