The Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor is the fourth and the newest rebadged model born out of the collaboration between Toyota and Suzuki in the current line-up. Where the Fronx has been leading the sales chart since its introduction, the segment has also witnessed a growing demand amongst buyers. This segment offers a crossover stance, higher ground clearance than a hatchback with body cladding, and while not being too expensive on the pocket. So why should you consider buying the Taisor instead of the Fronx, and what are the reasons to stay away from it? Let us break it down for you.
Higher Standard Warranty
Where Fronx buyers are offered a standard warranty of two years or 40,000 km, Taisor buyers – since it’s a Toyota – will have the upper hand with a standard warranty of three years or 1,00,000 km. This has always been the case with Toyota-badged Maruti products including the Glanza, Invicto and the Rumion. And now the Taisor continues with it, albeit at a slightly higher premium you pay over the Maruti car it is based on. Moreover, Toyota is also offering complimentary roadside assistance for five years which makes the deal even sweeter.
Powertrain Choices
Although it’s rebadged, you still get all the powertrain choices in the Taisor that are offered in the Fronx. The 1.2-litre naturally aspirated ending offers a smooth and refined driving experience which is also frugal and can be had with an AMT automatic. Meanwhile, the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol we drove has a punchy nature with a vibration-free refinement that is unheard of in a three-cylinder engine. It can also be had with a six-speed torque converter automatic. And for buyers looking for a CNG option, the Taisor offers that as well – but only in the entry-level trim.
Appealing positioning
The Fronx is selling at an average of 13,000 units per month. Which means the Taisor has a successful recipe to start on. Buyers are looking for a beefed-up hatchback without the bulk of an SUV and the Fronx/Taisor offers it in the best possible manner. Secondly, if you wanted to buy a Toyota and the Glanza was the only affordable choice, spending a little more for the Taisor makes so much more sense. And, the Taisor carrying small but noticeable changes over the Fronx (rather than being just a rebadged product) also works in its favour.
Also Read: Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor vs Rivals: Specifications Comparison
Variants and Pricing
With the badge engineering, the Taisor carries a slight extra premium over the equivalent variant-to-variant Fronx. Not only that, as with the Fronx, the Taisor also doesn’t offer a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with the more affordable trims but only in the more expensive V and G trims. This means if a buyer wants the punchy 1.0-litre Boosterjet, they’d have to spend the extra for it and can’t have it in the more affordable trims. And the same goes the other way around too where the 1.2-litre petrol buyers don’t get the range-topping features offered in the G and V despite them wanting this powertrain and added features. Luckily the Boosterjet variants of the Taisor are priced on par with the same powertrain variants of the Fronx. Lastly, the Toyota touchpoints aren’t as extensive and well spread across the country as Maruti Suzuki’s.
Uninspiring Cabin
Although the exterior of the Taisor carries some changes over the car it is rebadged from, the same cannot be said about the cabin. With a concoction of materials used all around the cabin, they are all hard plastic and make the cabin feel less spacious than it actually is. Toyota could have made use of lighter or beige materials inside the cabin to make it feel more premium and spacious in comparison. Even the seats could have had better leatherette upholstery both fore and aft. Moreover, the second row has ample leg room, but the headroom and shoulder room are on the tighter side. So, spending long hours in the back won’t be very comfortable, especially for taller passengers.
Bigger alternatives available at the same price
The range-topping Taisor V with turbo-petrol automatic and dual-tone finish carries a price tag of Rs 13.04 lakh. At this price, there are other sub-4 metre SUVs along with a few C-SUVs that could offer a much better buying sense with their larger dimension, more features, and bigger engine configuration. You can opt for the Tata Nexon in the Creative Plus S trim or a diesel-automatic combination in the Kia Sonet HTX trim at the same price as the range-topping Taisor. Even the Hyryder CNG option or the Honda City VX petrol manual are good alternatives for the Taisor at around Rs 13 lakh (ex-showroom)
Also Read: Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor vs Maruti Suzuki Fronx: What’s The Difference?
All things considered, the Taisor is yet another likeable car born out of the alliance between the two carmakers. It has got a lot going for itself including powertrain choices, driving dynamics, features it offers, pricing as well as styling. And the high-volume segment it has entered, the Taisor will give the buyers another choice with Toyota’s brand factor backing it up.
