Toyota Urban Cruiser (2009 – 2013) Review
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Toyota Urban Cruiser (2009 – 2013) At A Glance
Chunky and quirky looks. A rare sight on UK roads. 1.4 D-4D AWD surprisingly enjoyable to drive.
1.3 VVT-I no fun to drive. DMF and clutch of 1.4 D4-D can be short lived.
The Toyota Urban Cruiser is an oddball car. It's chunky, without absorbing urban ruts, potholes and speed humps as well as a Qashqai on same size tyres. The diesel comes with four-wheel drive that doesn't endow it with off-road ability. The petrol engine is very efficient, with stop-start, but isn't outstandingly fuel efficient or low in CO2. And the collapse of Sterling against the Yen has meant that UK prices are a bit jaw dropping.
Reviews for Toyota Urban Cruiser (2009 – 2013)'s top 3 rivals
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Toyota Urban Cruiser (2009 – 2013) handling and engines
- Engines range from 1.33 VVT-i to 1.4 D-4D
- Readers report Real MPG to be between 38–64 mpg
Well, the diesel all-wheel-drive just happens to be the lowest emitting four-wheel drive you can buy (lower even than the Fiat Panda Multijet 4x4).
But instead of using power to every wheel to make it an accomplished off-roader, it behaves much like an Audi S3 with a third of the power, and becomes a surprisingly capable on-roader. In any kind of driving that could be considered remotely normal you cannot unstick the front. And that allows safe yet entertaining cornering of the ear-to-ear grin variety.
Obviously with a mere 90PS and 205Nm torque from 1,800rpm it's no ball of fire. The turbo whistles like One Man and his Dog before it does very much. But the fact that you don't have to slow down for an impending corner means you can whack along at a very impressive pace for a car that looks more like a Tonka toy than a sports car.
I guess the four-wheel-drive with the right tyres might make it good in the snow too. You can lock the centre diff below 40kmh to crawl through the white stuff, and switch off the traction control system below 55kmh.
But it won't make many friends among the surfing fraternity, as we found when we made complete fools of ourselves pulling onto some very soft sand. It simply dug itself in, started burning its clutch, and required the help of four friendly Portuguese with an L200 and a towrope to get us out. Subsequent jokes about sandwiches for lunch, Sandeman's Port and Lorimer of Arabia will take a while to live down.
In contrast to the fun we had with the AWD diesel when we weren't up to our axles in beach, the super-efficient 1.33 front drive petrol Urban Cruiser with stop&start was a disappointment. Sorry, Toyota, but there's no other word for it.
The steering was lighter, giving less information of what sort of work the tyres were facing. The gearshift was clunkier. The power output was a bit higher, but the torque was a lot lower. The only benefit seemed to be a sliding rear seat and slightly more luggage space from not having a rear diff in the way. It's hard to see where Toyota expects to park this car. Certainly not on my driveway. I can't speak for the sort of customer who went for short wheelbase Suzuki Vitaras and the like. But I don't even know a hairdresser who'd consider one.
I guess its virtues included a reasonably relaxed cruise at 23mph per 1,000rpm in 6th and fuel economy and CO2 much better than something kike a Daihatsu Terios. Actually a lot better than most petrol cars at 51.4mpg combined and 129g/km.
| Engine | MPG | 0-62 | CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.33 VVT-i | 50 mpg | 12.5 s | 129 g/km |
| 1.4 D-4D | 58 mpg | 12.5 s | 130 g/km |
Real MPG average for the Toyota Urban Cruiser (2009 – 2013)
Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.
Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.
Average performance
91%
Real MPG
38–64 mpg
MPGs submitted
50
Toyota Urban Cruiser (2009 – 2013) interior
- Boot space is 305–749 litres
- Euro NCAP rating of three stars
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 3930 mm |
| Width | 1725 mm |
| Height | 1525–1540 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2460 mm |
Sure it's reasonably practical, with adequate room for four and their bags, but I think Toyota might have been wrong to set it up against small 4WDs like the Suzuki SX4, its Fiat Sedici clone, mini MPVs like the Citroen Picasso C3 and style statements like the Kia Soul. The Urban Cruiser diesel AWD is more of a competitor to the MINI Clubman in the sense it's a car you can have fun driving, yet into which you can also chuck a fair amount of clobber.
Toyota Urban Cruiser (2009 – 2013) models and specs
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 3930 mm |
| Width | 1725 mm |
| Height | 1525–1540 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2460 mm |
| Miscellaneous | |
|---|---|
| Kerb Weight | 1150–1265 kg |
| Boot Space | 305–749 L |
| Warranty | 5 years / 100000 miles |
| Servicing | 10000 miles |
| Costs | |
|---|---|
| List Price | £16,695–£18,695 |
| Insurance Groups | 8–10 |
| Road Tax Bands | D |
| Official MPG | 50.4–57.6 mpg |
| Euro NCAP Safety Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Adult | - |
| Child | - |
| Pedestrian | - |
| Overall | 3 |
| 4 X 4 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 1.33 VVT-i 5dr | £16,695 | 50.4 mpg | 12.5 s |
| 1.4 D-4D 5dr | £18,695 | 57.6 mpg | 12.5 s |
Model History
March 2008
Presented for the first time in Europe at Geneva in March 2008, the Urban Cruiser is an" environmentally responsible" SUV aimed at the market for urban all-road vehicles and meeting motorists’ priorities for low fuel consumption and emissions. 3,930mm long, 1,725mm wide and 1,540 tall.
Urban Cruiser has the rugged, muscular appearance expected of an SUV, but with five-door practicality and compact dimensions that make it suitable for driving around town. Spacious accommodation for five inside, plus ample luggage space.
Engines are new 100PS/132Nm 1.3 petrol Dual VVT-i with stop&start system and 90PS/205Nm 1.4 diesel, both with 6-speed manual transmissions; 1.4 diesel available with 4WD.
- 1.33 petrol 2WD: 129g/km CO2; 51.4mpg; 109mph; 0-60mph 12.3 seconds.
- 1.4 D-4D 4WD: 129g/km CO2; 57.7mpg; 109mph; 0-60mph 12.4 seconds.
March 2009
Toyota’s new Urban Cruiser achieved the world’s lowest CO2 emissions for a four-wheel drive car. The figure of 130g/km for the 1.4 D-4D AWD model is one aspect of the all-round environmental excellence that Toyota has achieved with its new B-segment hatchback crossover.
Reached UK showrooms in May 2009, Urban Cruiser is the latest Toyota model to benefit from Toyota Optimal Drive, advanced powertrain design and engineering that is making engines more powerful, while at the same making them more fuel efficient and less polluting. Its low emissions performance will add to Toyota’s progress towards achieving an average 140g/km across its full model range during 2009.
Urban Cruiser follows Auris and Yaris sister models in adopting Toyota’s new 1.33 Dual VVT-i engine, equipped with a Stop & Start system. Stop & Start turns off the engine when the car comes to a halt, the gear shift is moved to neutral and the clutch pedal is released. Automatic restart is instantaneous as you engage the clutch again to select a gear ready to pull away. This has a significant impact on fuel consumption and emissions and can achieve a reduction of up to four per cent in urban driving.
The 100bhp (101 DIN hp) engine in the 2WD Urban Cruiser emits 129g/km of carbon dioxide and has an official combined cycle fuel consumption of 51.4mpg. The engine’s design benefits from Toyota’s extensive motor sport experience in being exceptionally lightweight and compact, with a small bore and long stroke, giving a very high power to weight ratio. Its efficient performance is also promoted by its high, 11.5:1 compression ratio.
Toyota’s Dual VVT-i valve timing helps boost response across the entire rev range, improving torque at low and medium engine speeds while at the same time reducing emissions and contributing to better fuel efficiency.
Toyota is offering a comprehensively revised version of its 1.4-litre D-4D common rail diesel engine in Urban Cruiser, exclusively with all-wheel drive. Equipped with the latest piezo-electric injector technology and a diesel particulate filter (DPF), it produces just 129g/km of CO2, the world’s lowest figure for an AWD drive car powered by an internal combustion engine.
The piezo-electric injectors work at exceptionally high pressure and can supply larger, more precise volumes of fuel at twice the speed of conventional injectors. This means they can deliver multiple injections in each combustion cycle, giving responsive engine performance with low fuel consumption and reduced emissions.
The engine generates 89bhp (90 DIN hp) at 3,800rpm and 205Nm of torque between 1,800 and 2,800rpm, with combined cycle fuel economy of 57.7mpg. Both engines use a new six-speed transmission, which also benefits from the application of Toyota Optimal Drive technology. Gear changes are quiet and smooth and a wide sixth gear ratio helps the powertrain achieve world-class levels of efficiency and fuel economy.
What to watch out for
Dual mass flywheel and clutch of 1.4 D-4D 4WD can be short lived due to relatively high gear ratios. One reader's failed at 24,000 miles.
06-05-2014:Corroded front discs reported on 18,500 mile 2009 (5 year old) Toyota Urban Cruiser.
20-09-2014:Another 2009 Urban Cruiser 1.4 D-4D 4WD clutch and DMF failed at 22,000 miles.
05-06-2018:Report that soon after purchase of a used 2010/60 reg Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.4 D-4D a warning light kept appearing on the dashboard. The manual advised that the light indicated that the oil needed changing. Owner knew this wasn't the case as the car had undergone a full service prior to purchase and read how to reset the dashboard to turn off the warning light, which was successful. However, the light kept reappearing more frequently, so owner decided to return the car to the dealer under warranty. They kept the car for a day and confirmed that there was a fault. They explained that the cause of the warning light is that sometimes the engine oil is bypassing the cylinders and going back into the oil tank and therefore it can build up and the sensor thinks there is too much oil. They are aware that this is a possible fault with Urban Cruisers and have a technical bulletin (60 pages long) explaining the fault. They explained that they had argued with the warranty company, who won't cover the problem unless the garage can prove that this is happening.
27-01-2019:Report of clutch failure of Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.4 D-4D AWD at 20,000 miles.
