[Hickstead]

My observations on Toyota Hyryder strong hybrid test drive:
NVH is good. CVT rubber band is very much evident once we press on gas.
3 pot behaviour is very much evident too. Car is eager to move and responsive at crawling speeds.
Overtaking in traffic is damn good. Suspension is good enough. HUD is super distractive. Maybe it needs some getting used to. Interiors are a let down, not anywhere near to Hyundai/KIA.
Can be bought if city usage is >80%.
Three cylinder noise and vibration is evident.
Seat width in front row is less
Ventilated seats are good
Regenerative braking (B mode) in the gear box is not intrusive
EV mode runs up to 30kmph with feather light throttle inputs, before ICE switches on.
Rear seat is for 2 adults and 1 kid
Sunroof area is good. A cloth mesh is provided as shade for the sunroof. It could be a little intrusive for tall passengers in rear seat
Ride quality is good
Two six footers should be able to sit back to back
Glove box and compartment under the hand-rest are small.

[84.monsoon]

With the 5 star crash test ratings for both adult and child crash protection that were just announced for the Taigun and Kushaq twins, Toyota and Maruti should speed up their crash testing with NCAP. There is a perception of a light build for the Hyryder and GV and unless mitigated by crash test ratings, VW and Skoda will make a big sales pitch that their cars are the only safe ones in the segment, especially given the other main players, Hyundai/Kia have fared so poorly in the tests.

[arjunrudra]

Hi,

What is the fuel tank capacity of the car ?

Regards,
Arjun Rudra

[bijims]

Originally Posted by arjunrudra

Hi,

What is the fuel tank capacity of the car ?

Regards,
Arjun Rudra

The fuel tank capacity of the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder is 45 litres.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by karan561

I had booked my Toyota Hyrder V "Strong Hybrid" in Cafe White Colour & I am glad to announce its allocation.

Congratulations!!!! Can't wait to see you video review!

[kdp95]

Apologies for posting this late.

I stay in Navi Mumbai and am considering to buy a new Automatic diesel car for regular use. Test drove the Seltos and was quite impressed. However due to the launch of the Hyryder, wanted to test drive and consider it as well.

Contacted multiple dealers but none of them had TDs and informed that they will let me know. Finally visited Lakozy Toyota in Malad on 08th October 2022 which had test drive available (thanks to my cousin who regularly services his Innova and Fortuner at their service centre). Checked out the car and was impressed with the quality of interior and the head unit. Was quite spacious to sit. I had read the reviews about reduced boot space but when the lower board is removed, it is observed it does has a good amount of boot space.

Took the test drive and it took my heart. Also I feel the panoramic sunroof shade should be darker as I could feel the scorching heat. The ventilated seats and AC gave quite a relief.

After few days considering the reliability of Toyota and their service, decided to book the Strong Hybrid V Silver model and was told of a waiting period of six months

Paid the booking amount and awaiting for further response. Hopefully I would be getting a 2023 manufactured car.

Except one dealer in Mumbai - Millennium none else has even contacted me so far for a Test Drive. Toyota dealers really need to take some customer centric efforts.

[teknophobia]

Test drove the Hybrid V model today. The silver/black dual tone model was on display at the showroom and red model was available for test drive. We felt that it had better road presence than creta/seltos.

We found it very smooth and easy to drive in heavy traffic. Front and side visibility is good and cameras are good enough for parallel parking, however, the visibility from the rear window is horrible. The acceleration and braking are nowhere near the civic, but decent for what the car aims to be. The Hyryder doesn't have much steam left after you hit 80 plus speeds.

The car is quite obviously a maruti, the doors feel light, the driver's seat is quite narrow and it does feel built to a cost.

On the whole, I felt that it squarely hits its target, a city runabout and usable for some longer drives, but it clearly is not a car for long and regular highway trips.

We booked the silver/black dual tone v hybrid with refundable deposit of 25000. The sales people said that the estimated delivery is around 39 weeks, let us see when they can give delivery.

[saurabh041086]

Originally Posted by mave547

Am in a similar boat. Booked on 9th July online at Lakozy Andheri. All dealers have received their allocation lists (variant wise and customer wise). You have a good chance of getting it PROVIDED you take a firm commitment in person from your Showroom Manager.

Else their stories in Mumbai at least are endless, almost dishonest at times. So if you are keen on it visit the showroom and pursue them aggressively.

One MORE note of caution -

If you are taking delivery in Jan 23 or latter do check the manufacturing year. ( what they call a kaccha pakka registration). This will add 1 more year to your vehicle's age in terms of resale without you having actually used the vehicle.

My experience of the whole process has been pathetic to say the least. I booked in Jul the AWD variant. These sales guys at Noida showroom are such high headed that they don't even expect people changing variants based on test drive and price. On top of this no tentative date of delivery in sight.

Not a Mahindra thread but it seems Mahindra handled the whole process some what reasonably. Toyota has just created a chaos of whole thing. This is a global one of the trusted brand that we are talking about here

[mave547]

A satisfactory TD ( in terms of time and quality of the ride) completed today at the TKM Lakozy Andheri showroom. The initial craze seems to have died down.

The V Variant of the strong hybrid was the vehicle I test drove.

Following Observations has led me to continue my original booking (made on 9th July)

1.) Doors are lightweight and dont THUD, but nevertheless the car handles serverly pot hole ridden roads surprisingly very well. (FEELS SOLID)

2.) I am 5'6" and a comfortable driving position was obtained almost immediately. ( Unlike the MG ZS Excite which I went to see before coming here ). Driving in the city traffic , overtaking , braking is just splendid.

ONLY time you will feel the pain is when -

you cross 80 kms/ hr and the engine sounds will be LOUD and CLEAR inside the vehicle.

you try and cross 110 and you start realizing the 3 pot and hybrid combination just will not agree to go beyond.

3.)City driveability, visibility, overtaking are absolutely amazing.

4.) Not So Cool Things -

Music system is average even in the top end V Variant. Unfortunately have booked the G Variant so need to take my chances.

The thin sun roof screen will definitely need to be changed at some point of time, dont think it can take.regular usage wear and tear.

The hump in the middle is too high and wastes an otherwise great package. Practically renders the middle seat useless even for a teenager.

The lackasidial attitude of the Sales Team, as if someone's forcing them to do their job.Not the SA though she was extremely cordial but the senior sales team weren't even interested in trying to convince me as a customer with regards to waiting period, delivery period etc. This inspite of being a TKM loyalist for over 23 years and that too Lakozy Toyota customer. Abysmal. (Intend to take this matter up with their head CRM).

[rr06]

Originally Posted by mave547

Am in a similar boat. Booked on 9th July online at Lakozy Andheri. All dealers have received their allocation lists (variant wise and customer wise). You have a good chance of getting it PROVIDED you take a firm commitment in person from your Showroom Manager.

Else their stories in Mumbai at least are endless, almost dishonest at times. So if you are keen on it visit the showroom and pursue them aggressively.

You were right. Dishonesty is a very subtle word for them. I visited Millenium Toyota, Thane on Saturday & here are few of the lies that I unearthed:

• We have not started deliveries - There was a delivery for a white colour G Hybrid happening when I reached. After checking with the security guard, he mentioned daily deliveries have been happening since the past week.
• We have not received allocation of Red / Black Dual Tone or Red colour V Hybrids, except for TD & Display - There were 2 Red / Black V Hybrids in the showroom parking lot itself, waiting for delivery. As per the security guard 2 were delivered already.

I had a very heated conversation with the GM, Sales of Millenium Toyota about the dishonesty & the unprofessional overall experience. I still don't have any commitments from them & now in 2 minds to whether continue with them or cancel the booking. Based on their earlier commitments, I have already got a loan sanctioned via them & got valuation done for my old car from Toyota Assist.

This also makes me worried if pre sales service is like this, how will the post sales service be?

[karan561]

Originally Posted by CEF_Beasts

Congrats on the HyRyder

You can do an exclusive comparison test between your Seltos, Kushaq and HyRyder in which all belong to the same segment, looking forward to that

Thanks CEF_Beasts for your wishes. Yes, that will be quite a line up (& video) once the car is delivered.

Originally Posted by vvrchandra

Hi Karan, Did you get any chance to test drive the strong hybrid variant of Hyryder. If yes, your observations please. I too have booked Grand Vitara Strong hybrid Alpha+ on July 11th and was waiting till now for delivery info. Mine was white with dual tone option.

Vvrchandra,

I havent experienced a Hyryder yet(nor sat in one). This is yet again a car id be buying without a test drivec so looking forward

Originally Posted by DicKy

Congratulations!!!! Can't wait to see you video review!

Thanks Dicky

Update: Earlier today the car had reached the dealership & here are some pictures;

[mave547]

Originally Posted by rr06

This also makes me worried if pre sales service is like this, how will the post sales service be?

My post sales service experience and the city driveability ( which in our case is almost 80%) of the UC Hyrder are the ONLY factors that I am reluctant to cancel my booking.

Lakozy Toyota has the same set of stories - Malad branch has done only 1 delivery and NOBODY is being assigned any dual tone vehicles. I don't think anyone at TKM really cares right now. Hope the sales figures at Team BHP will lay open their falsehoods.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by karan561

T
Update: Earlier today the car had reached the dealership & here are some pictures

Congratulations. It does appear you have some stakes in the Toyota dealership

Must be the first and amongst the handful, if not just the only, allocation of Hybrid at your place

[Gurshawn93]

This is my experience test driving both the mild hybrid model (Suzuki showroom, C.M. Auto, sector 73, Mohali) and the strong hybrid (Toyota showroom, Pioneer Toyota, Ind. Area, Chandigarh). Both were top variants.

But before I proceed, I’d like to give a little context to those who are trying to establish whether this car is worth purchasing or not.

I was helping a friend of my father's with finding a new petrol, mid-size SUV in the ballpark of Rs. 20L.

The following are the other cars we considered and test drove before seeing the Hyryder - Skoda Kushaq / VW Taigun 1.0 AT, VW Taigun 1.5 DSG, Jeep compass 1.4 AT, Kia Seltos 1.4 auto and XUV 700 (no test drive). Long story short - nothing satisfied us and we waited for the Hyryder launch.

I will give the details of my experience with these cars after the details of the Hyryder.

Fast forward to the day of the test drives. Here are a few general observations for both versions -

Cabin Interior:

Styling was elegant and build quality quite satisfactory. Dual-tone leather (in top variant) and soft-touch leather on the dash were a welcome aesthetic. The knobs and dials had a relatively sturdy feel to them and I loved the up/down rocker switches on the A/C controls and steering. Ventilated seats worked very well. Most other expected features like wireless charging, 360 degree camera and Apple CarPlay / Android auto were present. Panoramic sunroof was also a one-up as compared to the other cars in the segment that I had test driven.

While the design elements and materials were all premium in nature, it would be wrong for me not to say that some things still felt a little plasticky and could be improved upon. Power adjustable seats could have been added in the top variants at least and were missed. The only major complaint I had was that the sunroof shade was flimsy and seemed like it would need replacing soon.

Exterior:

Good road presence and decent proportions. Top variant of the Hyryder had good looking alloy wheels. Heavier doors as compared to standard Maruti Suzuki a few years back but not as sturdy as VW makes them even today. I’d say choosing between the exteriors of the Grand Vitara and Hyryder will be a matter of personal preference. Nothing seemed lacking in either and both made their own good impressions.

Ride & Comfort:

The suspension felt well set up and soaked up bumps well. Comparable to Taigun 1.5 (if not better) and second to the Compass. There was a hint of stiffness, but I assume that would be welcome at higher speeds.

The seats held you well in place. However, I’m not sure if they would be comfortable for people who have broad torsos. A/C functioned quite well even when the petrol engine was not running. As with other hyrbids, they have used an electric compressor which is not driven off the engine belt.

Decent legroom all around. However, in the driver seat, my left leg was resting on the console, but was not uncomfortable and I quickly got used to it.

Noise:

The 4-cylinder engine of the mild hybrid was very refined and could barely hear it at idle.

The 3-cylinder engine of the strong hybrid has a rumble to it when revved. It is undoubtedly louder than the competition. However, it is not unpleasant. The typical EV whine sound is also there when the petrol engine is not active.

The mild hybrid is definitely the quieter driving car.

Steering & Handling:

Good steering feel - not soft like most Japanese and Korean cars typically have. It's adequately responsive and I didn't feel much difference after switching to this from my Skoda Yeti. Overall, very close to the feel of German / American cars.

Somehow, the Toyota strong hybrid variant seemed like it handled better on the road and inspired better confidence. It could be the weight of the bigger battery pack at the rear I assume.

I did not feel out of place driving the car and its handling did not seem to be lacking. However, I did not get to test it above 80 km/h.

Power & Transmission:

The mild hybrid AT felt severely underpowered coming from a 2.0 TDI and when you stepped on the gas, the engine revved high till the power was transferrable from the torque converter to the wheels.
I am guilty of being an enthusiastic driver and I did not enjoy driving this very much. It will be much more suitable for sedate city driving.

The strong hybrid thankfully was remarkably different. 60 km/h came quick and effortlessly and even till 80, it was quite acceptable. I have a feeling that beyond 80 it loses a bit of pep, however.

The transmission in the Strong hybrid left a very good impression on me. It was very responsive and seamless unlike the regular automatic on the mild hybrid. Even the engine start and stop did not cause any noticeable change apart from its sound.

The technology used says an eCVT and after a little research I found out that it does not function using a steel belt like other CVTs. It is, in fact, continuously variable owing to an interplay of a planetary gear and a motor/generator. I believe this particular transmission has two of these motor generators. Here is a link if you’d like to learn more about how it functions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O61WihMRdjM

The Verdict:

My overall verdict is that the Hyryder does everything quite well except power in the mild hybrid. There is a marginally better alternative for each category in the market, but no other does all these things together as well as returning as good mileage. One must definitely take a look at this car if looking for a mid-sized SUV and especially if fuel economy is a deciding criterion.

While I had originally gone to help out my father's friend, I and my father dropped by the next day and booked a dual-tone, cafe white, strong hybrid V variant for ourselves to replace our ageing Yeti as a daily driver. It’s funny how fate works sometimes.

For those who are interested, the following is why we were not pleased with the other cars we saw:

Skoda Kushaq / VW Taigun 1.0 AT - Screeching brake noise at low speeds. Drastically compromised interior build quality, poor resale value.

VW Taigun 1.5 DSG - Although performance and ride were great, and the DSG was a pleasure to use, we were hesitant because of the higher cost, most likely higher depreciation and the absence of certain features and poor resale value.

Jeep compass 1.4 AT - Most luxurious, premium feeling interior and superior ride quality to all the mentioned cars. 1.4 petrol was refined but slightly underpowered and the price was prohibitive. There was also the question of reliability and resale value.

Kia Seltos - Good exterior and interior. However, very stiff ride, extremely poor steering feel, long delivery times and previous nightmares with Hyundai quality left a bad taste.

XUV 700 - Poor interiors (too much plastic everywhere), prohibitive price and size. Mahindra customer service has also been repeatedly disappointing at Raj vehicles Mohali.

Thank you for reading. This was my first post here. I hope it will manage to provide useful information.

[rahulcmoulee]

Managed to test drive the Strong Hybrid V Variant at Ravindu Toyota Bellandur today. Went at a bad time as there were many people waiting for TD. The Hybrid battery was almost out when my turn came and I think that had an impact on my experience. Here is my opinion on the driving experience:

The Pros:
1.) Excellent Air-Con System: This was evident from the moment I stepped in the vehicle. The cabin was chilly and the ventilated seats made the experience complete. Granted it wasn't particularly hot outside with an indicated temperature of 27 degree celsius. I was worried that the thin sunroof cover would let in too much heat, but the Air Con system more than made up for it.

2.) Superb Efficiency: I reset the trip on the MID before setting off. Battery was at 1 bar when I took over, so the engine was running for about 85% of the drive. There were some stretches with stop-go traffic as well. Drove the car in all 3 modes and even managed to reach 90kph on an open stretch. The displayed efficiency at the end was 19.8kpl which was impressive and I'm sure would've been even higher if the battery had more charge.

3.) Well Judged Suspension: The suspension setup struck a good balance between high speed stability and low speed comfort. It absorbed potholes very well and didn't make any noise. Remained composed at speeds of 80-90kph with no obvious vertical movements.

4.) Brisk Performance at City Speeds: Acceleration off the line is very sprightly and the car gains speed pretty quickly until about 60kph. The Power mode really sharpens responses and the car felt eager to accelerate. Normal mode is more than adequate for city commutes. Eco mode is not recommended unless you are in stop-go traffic. Quick overtakes in the city aren't a hassle and are quite easy.

The Cons:
1.) Unrefined Drivetrain: This is one of the places where having the battery out of charge made life worse. The 3 cylinder engine was on for most of the journey and it is not a refined unit. More than the noise, it is the vibrations that make it unpleasant. The engine remained on and was even revving slightly to charge the batteries even when I was at a standstill at a signal. This sent vibrations through the steering wheel and pedals.

2.) Lack of Power at Highway Speeds: The engine runs out of steam post 80kph. No matter what mode you are in. Overtakes will need planning and you will need to mash the throttle to get them done. It can cruise comfortably at 80-90kph but it doesn't like being driven enthusiastically.

3.) Lack of Headroom even for the Front Seats: When I sat in the display vehicle in the showroom during my previous visit, the drivers seat was set to the lowest position and I didn't change it as there were many people waiting in and around the car and I didn't have time to get into a comfortable driving position. Today in the TD vehicle, when I got into a position that was comfortable for me, I was surprised to see my head touching the roof. I had to lower the seat and slightly compromise on my view out.

Conclusion:
The Hyryder is a typical Maruti Suzuki attempt at cracking the Midsize SUV segment. It is designed to please the masses with low running costs and peace of mind. But in their pursuit for outright efficiency, they have made a few compromises too many for my liking. The lack of space both in the cabin and in the boot is too hard to look past in this segment. This will make for an excellent second car for city running with its efficiency and comfortable ride. For me personally, at 24L OTR it doesn't make sense as we are looking for a replacement for our Ecosport which is the only car in our garage. Have cancelled my booking and will be looking at other alternatives.

PS: Dealer informed that they have Mild Hybrid ready and available for delivery due to many cancellations. 4 month waiting period quoted for Strong Hybrid.