What I Like And Hate About The Toyota Hyryder

Last week was an eventful as I got to drive two SUVs from the same segment. First I drove the Hyundai Creta facelift which truly impressed me and I even shared my views in my article. Just after that, I got my hands on the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. It is a brilliant package but has some of its own shortcomings. In fact, the Hyryder has more cons when compared to the new Creta. Today, I am sharing all the things I liked and did not like about the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder.
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Toyota Hyryder – Variant & Engine

Now before starting with the positives and negatives of the Urban Cruiser Hyryder, let me share with you the variant I drove. So I drove the top-of-the-line, V variant which comes with the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and AWD option. It is the same engine which also does duty on the Maruti Brezza. This unit produces 102bhp and 137Nm of peak torque. While the regular variants come with a 6-speed automatic, the AWD variants are limited to a 5-speed manual gearbox only.

Toyota Hyryder – Positives 

So let us start with some positive aspects of the Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Refined Engine

The most positive factor about the Hyryder is the engine. Yes it is underpowered and I will talk about it in the negatives, but the engine itself is a super refined unit. It is pretty silent at low speeds and you will probably check if the car is turned on or not, happened to me on a few occasions.

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Better Mileage

Now we all know that Maruti Suzuki is known to make some fuel efficient engines. That said, even the Brezza is famous to offer impressive mileage, thanks to the 1.5-litre unit. Now although the Hyryder is on a heavier side with extra weight of AWD hardware, the fuel efficiency has actually impressed me a lot. To put in numbers, I was getting mileage of around 10 (City) to 15 (Highway) kmpl, which was truly impressive for an AWD SUV.

Well Tuned Suspension

What I really liked about the Hyryder was the way the SUV drove. Firstly, the suspension has been tuned perfectly for both highway and city use. On bad roads the suspension did a great job to absorb the harsh jerks. While out on the highway at high speeds, the suspension made sure the SUV is planted and offered enough confidence on some curvy roads and ghat sections.

Excellent to drive

Continuing the driving aspect, the Urban Cruiser Hyryder surely has impressed me. It is very easy to drive even in some serious traffic conditions. Firstly it has a high-set sitting position which offers excellent road visibility. In fact you even get a proper view of the bonnet which makes it easier to drive around in cities. Whereas on highways, the SUV remains stable even while doing triple digit speeds. Also, compared to the Hyundai Creta, the Hyryder has better steering feel. Unlike the Creta’s steering, the steering on the Hyryder weighs up beautifully on the high speed runs, providing much needed stability and confidence.

Proven Built Quality

Now Maruti cars generally do not have good impressions while talking about safety. However, the Hyyder is built on Suzuki’s Global C platform which has actually scored good ratings in crash tests. No, the Hyryder or the Grand Vitara are not yet crash tested, but the Brezza which is based on the same platform, managed to score 4-star safety rating. That said, the build quality of its competitor Hyundai Creta is yet to be tested and so the Hyryder has the upper hand.

Also read – All-new Maruti car Coming in May 2024

AWD / Hybrid

What also goes into the favour of the Hyryder is that it is the only SUV in the segment to offer AWD and Hybrid powertrain options. The AWD works effortlessly in most off-road conditions. I was able to test it in some tricky conditions and the SUV did not disappoint me. The option of having a full blown hybrid technology in regular 2WD variants is a boon for buyers.

Features 

Finally, the Urban Cruiser Hyryder comes equipped with an impressive feature list. What I personally liked is the panoramic sunroof. In size this is one of the smaller panoramic sunroofs that I have experienced however its the only car in its segment (or even on higher) to offer the feature to open both the glass panels. Rest, I even enjoyed listening to songs from the Arkamys surround sound speakers. Other useful features include 360-degree camera, ventilated seats, drive modes for AWD, leatherette seats for utmost comfort and the 9.0-inch touchscreen system.

Toyota Hyryder – Negatives 

Unfortunately, the negatives of the Urban Cruiser Hyryder are connected to all the positives I mentioned above.

Engine lacks power

In positives, I mentioned how refined and silent the 1.5-litre engine of the Hyryder. The downside is, this engine simply lacks power. Hyryder is bigger and heavier than the Brezza and also comes AWD as an option. However, all the fun to drive aspect diminished once I realised the engine is struggling to pull the SUV at higher speeds, especially after driving the Creta.

Short gear ratios 

The lack of power also resulted in the brand giving shorter gear ratios for the manual variant. There is not enough power or torque reserved at high speeds and you start noticing the lack of 6th gear in the car. So as I started to drive, I had to jump to fourth gear quickly, whenever i needed quick bursts of power for overtakes.

Feels Cheap On Inside 

After driving the Creta, what I really missed on the Hyryder is the luxury cabin. In my drive review of Hyundai Creta I mentioned how upmarket it feels on the inside. Compared to that, the Hyryder feels a lot cheaper. The dashboard design feels outdated and the plastics used are really cheap in quality.

Also, some of the elements are simply shared with cars like the Toyota Glanza/Maruti Baleno, which is positioned a couple of segments below. Even the sunshade used for panoramic sunroof is of the poor quality. In fact the touchscreen system too lacks premiumness as it feels like an aftermarket treatment with the outdated UI and touch response.

Finally, the reverse camera and the 360-degree camera also lack quality and are often grainy. It would have been just okay if Toyota had not offered it as the cameras are pretty low on resolution. All in all, Hyundai Creta and other SUVs from the segment are miles ahead in terms of interior design and quality.

No turbo petrol / diesel engine options 

Finally, what really bothered me is the lack of turbo petrol or a diesel engine option for buyers. As I mentioned, the 1.5-litre NA engine feels lethargic to drive and I wished it had the option for a turbocharged engine. So while the competitors like Creta, Seltos, Kushaq, etc. get turbo petrol engines that deliver up to 160 bhp, the Hyryder does not offer any. 

Toyota Hyryder – Conclusion

So overall, these are my impressions after driving the Urban Cruiser HyRyder for 100kms. It has better ride quality, efficient engine, and a spacious cabin for a family of 5. However, the negatives that I mentioned is a big bummer and reason to avoid buying this SUV. In comparison, Hyundai Creta has a perfect balance of powertrain, features, ADAS, comfort, and most importantly, the supreme quality!

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