Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella

The cabin takes full advantage of its electric platform to maximise space for the passengers.

Cabin Layout and Quality

• Toyota uses a large floating panel that houses two separate screens under one frame.
• The driver gets a 10.25-inch digital display for the speed and battery information.
• The centre features a 10.1-inch touchscreen for the media and navigation.
• The centre console between the front seats sits very high.
• It opens up a large storage space underneath it to keep a handbag or large water bottles.

Seating Comfort

Front Row

• The front seats are wide and offer good support for long drives.
• The driver gets full electric seat adjustments.
• Both front seats offer ventilation, heavily reducing perspiration

Second Row

• Because there is no exhaust pipe under the floor, the rear floor is completely flat.
• It means a third passenger can sit in the middle without struggling for foot space.
• The 2,700 mm wheelbase provides excellent knee room as well.
• Here, you get dedicated air conditioning vents and separate charging ports as well.

Features That Improve Daily Use

• The 10.1-inch infotainment screen
• Support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• A panoramic glass sunroof
• A wireless smartphone charging pad
• A six-speaker audio system

Girish observes,

“There are more than enough storage areas in the car, from door pockets to a centre console and an armrest.”
 

By sharing the development costs and the skateboard platform with its sister brand Maruti Suzuki, Toyota managed to keep the car’s pricing strategy aggressive. There’s also a BaaS (Batter-as-a-Service) pricing for this vehicle, one that drops its initial cost to Rs. 15.25 lakh, at Rs. 4.99 per kilometre.

Because this SUV sits on a dedicated electric platform, it fits a much larger battery pack underneath the floor. If you plug the car into a high-speed public charger, you can push the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in roughly 45 minutes. The power pack gets an eight-year warranty, while the vehicle itself is covered for up to three years.

The Ebella has a strong physical crash structure, and it also packs the latest active radar technology. It’s not yet crash-tested, but do note that its platform sibling is the Maruti Suzuki e-Vitara, which has a five-star Bharat NCAP safety rating.

Passive Safety and Crash Protection

• Toyota provides seven airbags on both variants.
• You also get ISOFIX child seat mounts in the back.
• The dedicated skateboard chassis uses high-strength steel to protect the battery pack.
• There’s also a heavy-duty underbody plate to stop sharp rocks from piercing the battery.

Active Safety and Stability Systems

• Level 2 ADAS is available in this car.
• It includes automatic emergency braking.
• The adaptive cruise control locks onto the speed of the car ahead.
• You also get a 360-degree camera that displays a high-resolution top-down view of the car.

The cabin uses digital screens to handle the daily controls.

Infotainment and Interface

• The dashboard has a 10.1-inch central touchscreen.
• The software is quick to respond and does not freeze.
• The driver gets a 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster.
• It shows the exact battery percentage, remaining driving range, and tyre pressure.

Cabin Convenience and Practical Features

• The automatic climate control system cools the massive cabin down very quickly.
• A wireless charging pad sits high on the centre console.
• The top trim features Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology.
• You can plug a standard three-pin socket directly into the car to run household appliances.

• The main boot offers roughly 306 litres of cargo space.
• Because of the flat boot floor, three large suitcases easily slot in here.
• If you need to carry longer items, the rear seats fold down in a 60:40 split.
• But even though it’s an EV, Toyota didn’t include a ‘frunk’ under the bonnet. 

This SUV focuses entirely on passenger comfort and rough-road capability. Fast, sporty handling is a second priority.

Girish points out,

"Ebella gets three driving modes as well: Eco, Sport and Normal. While there’s not a very noticeable change in demeanour, range does get affected while toggling between them."

City Driving

• It feels highly refined in city traffic.
• The steering lets the car navigate through narrow lanes in a nimble manner.
• The suspension is tuned softly; it’s able to absorb potholes and speed breakers well.
• The car also feels very balanced when you turn into sharp corners.

Highway Driving

• The heavy floor-mounted battery gives the car a very low centre of gravity.
• It keeps the SUV glued to the road even when you’re hitting extreme speeds.
• Wind noise is blocked out effectively.
• During quick corners, body roll persists but doesn’t diminish the ride experience  too much.

Toyota has made the car available only in its top-tier E3 grade for India right now. The lower E1 and E2 trims featuring the smaller 49 kWh battery pack are not listed on the official website. Under the dual-tone variant, you get different colours like Arctic White with a bluish black roof, Land Breeze Green with a bluish black roof, Opulent Red with a bluish black roof, and Splendid Silver with a bluish black roof. 

The Essentials That You Don’t Get

• Physical dials for the air conditioning
• A heavily sporty, stiff suspension setup for fast cornering

If you are looking for a practical and spacious mid-size electric SUV, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella is a very practical choice. Because Toyota skipped the awkward phase of converting an existing petrol car and built the Ebella on a dedicated EV skateboard platform, you have a car that delivers interior space, a completely flat floor for rear passengers, and a heavy-duty battery pack that keeps highway range anxiety at bay.

Currently, Toyota has simplified the buying process by offering only the fully loaded E3 grade, meaning you don't have to stress over which battery pack or feature list to choose. Instead, your main decision will come down to the exterior paint of this car.