Toyota prepping Urban Cruiser-inspired SUV for Europe

[cherry]

Click image for hi-res gallery of the Urban Cruiser Concept

While its RAV4 is a sales success in Europe, toyota has no entry with which to compete in the constantly-growing small SUV segment. The solution?
Take the JDM toyota 1st ,which is essentially the USDM Scion xD, and make an SUV out of it. The butched-up variant will bow in March '08 at the Geneva show and go on sale in Europe shortly thereafter. According to Automotove News, the still-unnamed sport ute will derive its styling from toyota's 2006 Urban Cruiser concept (above). No word yet on what the powertrain offering(s) will be, but we'll find out soon enough. March isn't all that far off.

[EvoFire]

OMG I see a POS coming. Am I not the only one that thinks we have enough SUVs/Crossovers from Toyota? Why can't they make a short little car that doesn't sit higher than my Camry?

[cherry]

Do you think how kind »
Can! Thank you support.

[Camread]

they shouldve kept the Ist's nose for the xD

[Sulu]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

OMG I see a POS coming. Am I not the only one that thinks we have enough SUVs/Crossovers from Toyota? Why can't they make a short little car that doesn't sit higher than my Camry?

Don't fixate on the SUV/crossover label. It is not necessarily Toyota that is labelling the vehicle as a SUV/crossover, it may be the media, and they do tend to overdo things. Or if you think that the media is merely a reflection of the society in which they live and report, blame the American people who claim to hate, and will not buy cars labelled as station wagons or hatchbacks, yet will buy these exact cars if they are labelled as "crossovers". So, the media has started to label everything as a crossover.

Have you noticed that the non-sedan versions of the Yaris are called Yaris Hatchback in Canada, yet called Yaris Liftback in the USA? That is because of the American belief in "station wagon/hatchback bad".

This new car is merely a Toyota Ist / Scion xD -- which is nothing more than what, a Yaris? -- with more aggressive styling.

[blacken]

it looks kinda puggly

o_O

pudgy

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by Sulu

Don't fixate on the SUV/crossover label. It is not necessarily Toyota that is labelling the vehicle as a SUV/crossover, it may be the media, and they do tend to overdo things. Or if you think that the media is merely a reflection of the society in which they live and report, blame the American people who claim to hate, and will not buy cars labelled as station wagons or hatchbacks, yet will buy these exact cars if they are labelled as "crossovers". So, the media has started to label everything as a crossover.

Have you noticed that the non-sedan versions of the Yaris are called Yaris Hatchback in Canada, yet called Yaris Liftback in the USA? That is because of the American belief in "station wagon/hatchback bad".

This new car is merely a Toyota Ist / Scion xD -- which is nothing more than what, a Yaris? -- with more aggressive styling.

Look at the picture. Tell me that isn't going to be a SUV or at least a crossover? If it looked like a Yaris Hatchback, fine. And they already have the Verso and Yaris HB there filling the hatchback market of 2 sizes. The next logical step of a vehicle of this size by Toyota is probably SUV or crossover. Fat chance there would be a RWD coupe like thing.

[Tideland Prius]

Originally Posted by Sulu

This new car is merely a Toyota Ist / Scion xD -- which is nothing more than what, a Yaris? -- with more aggressive styling.

And raised. It is aimed at the Ford Fusion (Euro version) and similar. i.e. jacked up versions of 5-door hatchbacks. I suppose what we would call an Outback but based on 5-dr hatches instead of wagons.

[Sulu]

Originally Posted by cherry

Click image for hi-res gallery of the Urban Cruiser Concept

While its RAV4 is a sales success in Europe, toyota has no entry with which to compete in the constantly-growing small SUV segment. The solution?
Take the JDM toyota 1st ,which is essentially the USDM Scion xD, and make an SUV out of it. The butched-up variant will bow in March '08 at the Geneva show and go on sale in Europe shortly thereafter. According to Automotove News, the still-unnamed sport ute will derive its styling from toyota's 2006 Urban Cruiser concept (above). No word yet on what the powertrain offering(s) will be, but we'll find out soon enough. March isn't all that far off.

I believe this is old and outdated news. I had a look at the article accompanying that picture, and noticed that it was posted in November 2007. While searching, I found another article about this same car, posted in February this year. It shows another picture, something that looks like the Ist / xD, a picture that I have seen before, related to the Geneva Autoshow this year...

Joining the iQ will be the Urban Cruiser, which appears to be little more than a jacked-up Toyota ist (Scion xD). Earlier reports said that it would borrow styling cues from the 2006 Urban Cruiser concept, but clearly the only thing the production ride cribbed is the show car's name. Toyota hasn't released tech specs for either the iQ or Urban Cruiser yet, and we'll bring you all the news from Geneva as it happens early next month. It's worth noting that the JDM ist is available with optional 4WD, which would be in keeping with the Urban Cruiser's SUVish stance.

Source: http://www.automk.com/viewthread.php...rban%2Bcruiser

So, for those worried about the styling of the concept vehicle, take heart, it was only a concept. The real car is not that bad.

[palema]

It is expensive, can not afford.
Unfortunately ah.
But still like it

[Tideland Prius]

Originally Posted by palema

It is expensive, can not afford.
Unfortunately ah.
But still like it

but it's based on the xD/Ist?? The Ist isn't an expensive vehicle...