Test Drive Toyota Urban Cruiser since 2009 SUV

All photos of Toyota Urban Cruiser since 2009

Optimal Drive

Cape Cabo da Roca? No problem! Here you go twenty minutes, and I gladly enhance the route to show your colleague for the first time in these places the most Western point in Europe. In addition, the management of this compact hatchback SUV really gives pleasure: it is quite frisky, easily and accurately controlled, does not bow to every turn on this picturesque winding road. Yes, and in the cabin, despite the more than modest dimensions, it is pleasant to be not a jacket, but a full, comfortable and strong car. Such an impression of Urban Cruiser was somehow immediately, and did not divorce on the Atlantic wind.

Concept and sensation
Nice, you know, do not make an extra work. To me, for example, I did not have to think long over the headline herself suggested by the Japanese company named the concept of Toyota Optimal Drive, in accordance with which the Urban Cruiser was built. There is a rare case when successfully designated technological solutions fully reflect the essence of personal impressions from the car.
Let's say, under Optimal Drive, designers meant know-how, which allowed to reduce fuel consumption and reduce CO2 content in exhaust gases without prejudice to the car dynamics. And just? I, as a driver, also give tribute to the suquestness of Urban Cruiser and its economy. But I put the optimal drive as an optimal drive also, such an absolutely not engineering concept as pleasure driving. For me, of course, it is important that I am going on, and I spend less. But the whole question is how food?
Take the same bundles of aging in a slide, then under the slide on the way to Cabo da Rock and back. Here sin was not to pay tribute to the excellent manageability of Urban Cruiser: the reactions to the turns of the steering wheel are very accurate. First, from the stop before the stop, the Baranka makes 2.56 turns that for the SUV, albeit compact, quite a bit. Secondly, the electric power is set up very correctly: it enters work only if necessary, ensures the required effort and feedback with a growing speed. Thus, you feel the severity of the control, and you can completely pamper yourself with the passage of the next turn in one movement: they turned the ramp at a certain angle at the time of the storming of the viragee on a certain angle, and without throwing out the gas hold it in this position, straightening the steering wheel only at the exit. Excellent impression!
Here attentive reader and experienced driver will certainly notice it looking at how much gas, and what type of drive. That's right, but a passage of patience. Now I will finish with pleasure, and I'll honestly tell.
So, the pleasant feelings on serpentines are still experiencing more thanks to the adjustments of the suspension: they are elags, do not allow the car to roll in turns, except that the most necessary smallness. Front suspension of McPherson type with L-shaped levers. Rear torsion beam with built-in transverse stability stabilizer. As a result, confident and predictable behavior of the car.
Finally, in accordance with the same concept of Toyota Optimal Drive, a new 6-speed manual transmission was also developed. The machine, by the way, is not provided for Urban Cruiser. So, if the KP did not please with clear moves of the lever, and if every transfer was not stumbled so softly, the impression of the drive would be integrated. In this case, complete harmony. As for the driving qualities, it remains to deal with the engines and the type of drive.

Zhzh gasoline
The version with a new gasoline engine of 1.33 liters (by Americans and Europeans is also known according to the model IQ) weighs about 1200 kg. We did not have a special baggage, but I myself am not a small man, weighing from PUD, and my colleague pulled at least a half. As a result, about one and a half tons came out. But one hundred of one force and the 132-nm of torque turned out to be enough for us to feel both on direct, and on serpentines more than confidently.
It is clear that the Urban Cruiser is not a sports car, and you cannot hit accelerating dynamics. However, this engine is surprisingly an internally in almost the entire turn range. And all thanks to the system of changing the phases of the DUAL VVT-I Thames: Electronics changes the opening time of inlet and exhaust valves. You can register a motor that is sensitive to the gas supply, at any time the main thing in time go to the desired level. Unless, of course, are not particularly concerned about saving fuel: with intensive accelerations, the engine, respectively, requires additional nutrition. Personally, I did not refuse myself in the drive, and spent on 100 km of mileage not average 5.5 liters, but for a couple of liters more. But you will agree, anyway a little.
Start & Stop system helps save gasoline. And it works on a peculiar algorithm: so that the engine is stamped, just enough to stop. To do this, you need to transfer the handle of the KP for neutral transmission and release the clutch pedal. Habit is required, but the flow rate in the urban cycle is reduced by 4%. Squeeze the pedal the motor quickly and silently starts, without any additional manipulations. Yes, and also: the power unit will work in any case if the air temperature in the cabin did not reach the set value. The air conditioning system is then switched to Eco mode, and the engine will turn off. In addition, the motor automatically starts with a low battery charge and spontaneous vehicle. It seems to be thought out.

Gasoline modification is offered only with the drive on the front wheels. And since the Urban Cruiser is essentially a hatchback SUV can only be called it with some stretch, then the habits it has almost exactly such as any compact front-wheel drive car. With an appropriate adjustment to the increased clearance (160 mm) and the height of the body. At a good move, these amendments are largely leveled by elastic suspensions, as I have already spoken by not allowing noticeable rolls. Therefore, to pass the devices or quickly rebuild on it is a pleasure. The higher the speed in the turn, the more clearly the insufficient turning is manifested, right up to the moment when the car begins to shift the viragee to all the case. But the fact of the matter is that this moment, first, is easily guessed, but, secondly, it comes too fast. Of course, this B-SUV, as it defines Toyota, is equipped with a course stability system (VSC), which can be disabled.

Even faster, even more economical
This, of course, is about diesel modification. More precisely about two with drives on the front wheels and all-wheel drive AWD. To finish with the devices, I will say a few words about some nuances marked on a dry road.
First of all: diesel versions are a bit harder, but at the expense of the larger torque in them more drives are laid. And it's not just the best overclocking dynamics. Both of these versions were even more fun in management. Since the front is loaded, the front-wheel drive machine and in turn behaves a little differently, in short, all typical reactions are slightly exacerbated. The steering wheel seems even sharper, demolition at high speed comes for a moment before. And if you come to mind on the priese, sharply drop the speed or, even worse, slow down the feed can go into a drift without warning. However, catch the Urban Cruiser and straighten the trajectory of movement with some skills is completely simple.
But the small SUV with all-wheel drive transmission is something special. It allows you to storm the turns of truly aggressively. I don't know how it will be on a slippery road, but on a dry AWD system works, you can say, impeccably: rear wheels are connected at the moment when it is necessary, literally playing the car in turn. That is, a four-wheel drive compensates for insufficient turning, making it almost neutral, and in certain cases even redundant. But the whole charm is that after a pair of three experiments, you begin to understand the AWD algorithm and easily predict the behavior of the car. In addition, the redistribution of the moment between the axes is quite smooth, so that the car can hardly scare an inexperienced driver with a sharp change of mood.
Actually, Urban Cruiser with a 1.4-liter diesel engine D-4D car for the advantage of the front-wheel drive. However, under certain conditions (poor clutch with the blade, the front wheels), an electronically controlled clutch transmits up to 50% of the torque to the rear wheels. Moreover, the forced blocking mode of the inter-axis differential is provided, when most of the torque is sent just on the rear axle. True, this mode is automatically disconnected when the speed set is 40 km / h, so it makes sense only on bad or snow-covered roads. When moving along the highway, the rear wheels are obtained by the potential of the power plant only if necessary, which ensures fuel efficiency.
Turbodiesel is good in other respects: it is not badly balanced, so the vibration is immatched, and it works quite quietly. The only thing that I surprised me somewhat, as in the case of a gasoline engine, is the fact that both engines comply with EURO-4 environmental standards. This means, in particular, that in the near future they will be improved to the level of Euro-5. I want to hope that without damage to the drive.

As in the kitchen
It's time to say how well the salon is contemporated. Two, as the reader understood quite large men, in the front seats settled, in general, well. Not to say that we feel a special space, especially in the shoulder zone, but without tension avoided contact, without scattering hands. And there was enough space above the head. I would say that if you feel like in a business or executive class car, then in Urban Cruiser as in the kitchen of the usual Moscow high-rise building. Modestly, but cozy. In addition, finishing materials are high-quality and selected with taste. Front seats with good lateral support, a jersey cloth, quite comfortable. They are thin, but not tough. The ranges of adjustments of the chair and the steering column will satisfy, perhaps any person.
Behind, by the way, you can also get quite good, there is enough space. This is understandable: despite the small dimensions, due to short front and rear sinks 785 mm and 685 mm, respectively, the designers managed to make a wheelbase rather long 2460 mm. Hence the decent interior space. True, when we sat down at the time of interest behind together, they realized that the third extra. The seats of these, as taken, are folded in the ratio of 60:40, which allows you to increase the volume of the luggage compartment from 314 to 749 liters.

Before the drives of the driver, a rather original three-section instrument panel, in the center of which, on one dial speedometer and tachometer. It is covered with glass with anti-reflective coating, so it is easy to read the data at any lighting. On the right, the bizarre curved silver central console with a color monitor of the navigation system. Audio control blocks (there are also buttons on the steering wheel) and the air conditioning system are located below. Needless to say, all the buttons and veniers are at hand. The front panel as a whole looks relief, muscular, and in this respect it is quite harmony with the exterior. To the quality of plastic and thoroughness fitting parts, perhaps, do not adher.
Another plus saloon has many things. There is a two-piece glove box; There are pockets in the upholstery of the front doors in which folders are placed with A4 documents; Holders for bottles in the upholstery of the rear doors; Cup number and small box next to the parking brake lever; There is also a compartment in the front panel from the driver side; A double cup holder on the instrument panel, as well as a glass holder from the front passenger, which is located in addition to the deflector and cooled in the heat. Well, finally, in addition to all sorts of electronic systems of active safety in the cabin placed seven pillows. In a word, we reached the end of Europe quickly, in safe and comfortable conditions.

See who came
Even in the morning on weekdays at Cape Cabo da Rock there are enough tourists. They arrived here, of course, not in order to see the new Urban Cruiser, but the parking lot considered it no less carefully than the famous cross. And mostly expressed approval, so the Toyota designers can be proud of.
In my opinion, the CD has succeeded. It is small, but gives the impression of a strong, capable of the exploits of the 5-door car. If you try to determine his appearance in a word, I would say he muscular. A kind of relief originates from an expressive front, continues on high sidewalls and successfully ends on the stern crowded by a spoiler. We have a certain fastening, as if grew up in urban jungle, but can not hit the dirt face and outside the urban trail. By the way, despite the massiveness of the appearance, the Urban Cruiser is distinguished by excellent aerodynamics (CX \u003d 0.315).
While my colleague did his own hundred and fifty pictures and admired the approach, I answered a few questions of the road police officer who became interested in a novelty so that I forgave me a minor violation at the entrance to parking. Then tourists approached the car, who allowed me to conclude that the Urban Cruiser would not go without the attention of buyers.
Sales of this model in Europe began at the end of May. The initial price is 16,9950 euros. Toyota plans to sell 25 thousand such cars on the continent every year.
But there is nothing about Russian prospects yet: the decision on the supply of Urban Cruiser to our country has not yet been accepted. One reason for the notorious crisis. Although, let yourself assume, and we have hunters to get a stylish compact SUV. So wait.

Oleg Osipov
Lisbon Moscow
Photo Toyota.