State of Motor Industry (SOMI) event in South Africa became witness to the new models that Toyota is lining up for launch in the market. Two of these showcased models are sold by the Japanese car maker in India as well: Urban Cruiser Hyryder and Vitz (rebadged version of the Maruti Celerio). Toyota has already discontinued selling Urban Cruiser in the Indian market and in South Africa, the Hyryder will be put up for the sale by the name of Urban Cruiser Hyryder. In terms of the external design, the model will feature the same styling and proportions as the Indian model and will be available with the same 1.5-litre petrol engine which can be had in both mild-hybrid and strong-hybrid avatars. That said, Toyota will equip the model with slightly different shades of alloy wheels.
Vitz, i.e., a rebadged version of Maruti Celerio, will likely feature the same styling and design as its counterpart from India. Save for the badging, there won’t be any visual difference and it’ll be purely a rebadging job something that we witnessed in the case of the Maruti Baleno and Toyota Glanza. The feature list is also likely to remain the same and in terms of the engine option, Vitz will receive the 1.0-litre petrol motor putting out a max Power of 67PS along with 89Nm of max torque. The model will replace the ageing Agya which has carried the baton of Toyota’s entry-level car in the South African market.
As far as the timeline for the launch of Hyryder in South Africa is concerned, there is no official word from the company although we expect it to be available to prospective buyers by mid-2023. In the Indian market also, Toyota could make its entry in the hatchback segment by rebadging the Celerio although its name will be different from Vitz.
