[Sankar]

Originally Posted by RijuC

4. Owners please share the photographs of the battery pack surface visible. Is there any branding information visible? Kindly share the details of possible. (During test drives both NEXA and Toyota guys denied to show me that part removing the boot cover).

6. What is the expected life of the battery pack and the replacement cost? I understand exact estimation may not be possible considering high inflation and other sourcing factors. Is there any battery pack buyback program?

4. Hybrid li-ion battery pack is made in japan by "prime earth ev energy pvt ltd" which is a joint venture between toyota and panasonic. I don't understand why they don't show the battery pack to a prospective customer and there is nothing to hide on the battery pack label. Except someone could look up the part no on the web.

6. Approximately 1.5 to 2 lakhs minimum would be my guesstimate going by the prices of salvaged yaris hybrid battery packs available in europe and other foreign markets. The much much smaller maruti mild hybrid li-ion battery pack itself costs approx Rs55,000/-

[Audik75]

My initial ownership review after 2 days of driving the Hyryder.

I have been in the market for a car to replace an ageing Wagon-R for over 20 months and considered multiple cars before taking the leap of faith on the Hyryder. I have followed Team-BHP reviews for a while now and found them to be among the most factual and well-written ones after test driving a few cars.

My considerations were:
1. Jeep Compass 2021 facelift: liked the Jeep but the steep price of 34L on-road for the S-variant (and an automatic transmission that didn’t seem the best mating for the engine) held me back.
2. Tata Harrier: still in love with it. The lack of features (several of which have now crept into it through the multiple launches) that the Nexon / Safari had and the Hydraulic steering with poor calibration held me back.
3. Maruti Brezza: Booked the new Brezza on launch but ended up cancelling as I read reviews about the K15C engine performance. While it did largely meet my use cases at 17.3L, I felt it was overpriced compared to the outgoing version and no longer the value buy.

I did not consider the Korean twins (safety perception) or the German ones (multiple issues owners have reported post launch and the compact SUVs appearing more like a large hatchback- no offence to owners). Didn’t consider Mahindra given the waiting time for their SUVs albeit I could have planned this given how long I waited to actually buy.

With other options largely being ruled out and the inertia post COVID drawing to a close, ended up booking the Hyryder on launch day expecting a pricing around 23L-24L for the V variant given the Honda City bev pricing. The key factors were a car to primarily handle city driving conditions with occasional stints on the highway. The lack of adequate EV charging infrastructure on the highways and constraints at my apartment meant pure EVs were ruled out. I have experienced the Prius nearly 20 years back and was happy to consider a Toyota hybrid.

Was eagerly waiting for the Hyryder review and when it launched end of August, felt the car ticked all the boxes I wanted. Two plus months after this, still feel the Team-BHP review is the most comprehensive one and have been following the forum avidly.

Sales experience: The sales experience from Toyota was non-existent through July and August and I ended up booking Grand Vitara as a backup. Clearly, Maruti Suzuki has the better sales process and the dealers were more hungry for business. However, starting mid-September, things changed and once the display cars showed up, interest started building up and I got assurance from the Toyota dealer that they would arrange for delivery by October month-end. I received a call mid-October that the car had been allotted and they could arrange delivery around Diwali. I was however stuck with some health issues at home and deferred delivery till early November. Requested the dealer to get Ceramic coating done to avoid an extended waiting period (quote was comparable to the market and also included 3 further coats to be applied at 6/12 month intervals).

It was pelting in Chennai when I took delivery last week , did a quick PDI and missed out on checking TPMS which showed blank on reaching home (this has since reset itself and is not an issue). Over the last 2 days have done only city hops and a short ride on a highway that was congested enough to prevent me going over 85kmph.

Initial experience: Detailing below some observations from my limited driving experience.
1. The car is really responsive and getting to 65kmph is a breeze. I drive a 2015 Honda City CVT primarily and I should say accelerating on the Hyryder is slightly easier at city speeds. The electric motor assists with low-end torque and no lag is felt.
2. The car goes absolutely silent on start-up and is remarkably silent on EV mode. Didn’t feel the car as noisy up to 85kmph (will check on my next highway trip on how the car behaves at speeds above 100) and given 95 percent of my driving is at these speeds, not feeling the impact of the 3-pot engine.
3. There is a clear shudder / vibration that is felt when it switches from electric to ICE at parking. This isn’t as obvious while driving albeit you will hear the engine. I was playing around with the infotainment to understand features and change settings hence I experienced this a couple of times and is clearly something that needs improvement.
4. There is a whine that you hear (noted on the Team-BHP review by Vid6639 as originating from the brake vacuum pump which is uncovered). This is noticeable only when you are driving in EV mode in a quiet environment. Not sure if damping even helps in this case and would appreciate feedback.
5. Mileage is clearly going to be above 20kmpl in the city if you go easy on the pedal. Coming from a Honda CVT, this is something I am trained to do.
6. The 360 camera doesn’t feel like a total 360 at least in terms of visualisation and only the left side is being shown while driving. While logically this makes sense in right-hand drive cars, this is a feature that can be improved unless I am missing turning something on (enough has already been said on the quality of the images).
7. Wireless Apple CarPlay was a breeze to setup and overall things worked as expected.
8. Air condition (given Chennai weather) and the sunroof was a concern. The AC is however more than satisfactory when set in Auto mode. Ventilated seats are handy albeit at their highest level can be noisy. Lower fan speed appears sufficient.
9. The interior is brightly lit during day time. My son remarked that while he forgets the Honda City has a sunroof, on the Hyryder it is apparent enough. If you are a fan of sunroofs you will like it but given Indian summers, probably best to get a sun film installed.
10. Ambient lighting is hardly noticeable. I do not care much about this but this looks like an attempt to just tick the box on the feature list.
11. Access to the spare tyre is from the boot and requires using a wrench to lower the tyre should you need to replace.
12. Boot space is limited but will fit needs for a small family and weekend trips just fine. Didn’t buy a boot mat as it limits usage of the space further.

Overall, looks like a decent buy and no buyer’s remorse yet (too early I guess). Got an extended warranty but expect the much talked Toyota service experience and hassle free maintenance factors to come in handy.

[sandeepmukunda]

Originally Posted by Audik75

Clearing the air on navigation on the HUD. The HUD does display navigation when paired on Apple CarPlay. Attaching a screenshot.

Hi, does this also work with Android Auto? Can any other owner comment on this.

[Aniket03]

Originally Posted by RijuC

I have the following queries (mostly for S-variant Strong Hybrid model):

1. How does the strong hybrid perform on winding and twisting mountain roads specially while climbing up?

2. How are the halogen headlamps performing at night? Specially while driving in the highways and expressways? Any headlamp upgrade within legal limits (Philips Xtremevision G-force or OSRAM) is recommended or Stock headlamps are sufficient? Is there any projector with the halogens or it is normal reflector headlamps?

3. How is the brake? During the test drives I didn't find it good.

1. I haven't taken the car outside NCR till now, so no experience of driving up hills. But I have a feeling the car will hold it's own on terrain like that, because of the large 17inch wheels and the electric motor providing instant thrust, especially at low RPM.

2. S variant gets Halogen projectors instead of LED based projector headlamps. Output is satifactory, have driven on both the highway and inside city limits at night. I did not feel any requirement to upgrade or did not feel the throw was not adequate.

3. Braking is extremely good, all 4 disk brakes coupled with a not so heavy car means the braking power is more than sufficient.

Haven't installed a dashcam or any other accessories, but if you are able to do the same without tapping/cutting into OEM wiring, then I don't see any reason why warranty would be affected

[Cruzn]

Originally Posted by RijuC

5. Did anyone install the dual channel dashcams? How did you route the cables? Does the connection through hardwiring kit void warranty for Toyota?

While I’m not an owner yet, I did ask my SA this and he said that Toyota will not hardwire external devices and suggested to hide the cable down the A Pillar and under the glove compartment instead.

[blorebuddy]

Was at the dealership for a different purpose on the Sunday and got an opp. to test drive Hybrid top end. My observations

• We (SA, myself) could not find out whether vehicle is powered on or not without checking the dash. It's super silent when it's idle. Also on slow speeds. It's like driving an EV.
• It was a mix of city drive with unscientific speed bumps and on the traffic heavy highway
• Suspension is not bad in the slow speed and if you go slow on speed breakers.
• Highway 60kmph run was good. If you push it makes noise like typical of how an auto gear is revved which I do not like. On slow speed picking up is good as it's only on battery power I suppose.
• All brake disc brake has good bite
• Ergonomics are ok for me. Did not face any issue. Good visibility front and side. 360 Camera is a good value add.
• Boot is still decent after battery placement. The difference of space lost is not much if you see overall.
• Good for sedate driving. If you are aggressive, better use sport mode and it's better. Still it's not for enthusiasts and rev hard makes engine noise.
• Door heaviness, Sheet Metal are of Brezza quality I would say. Not like Baleno.

[aa_skoda_toyota]

Hello All,

This is my first post on the Team-BHP forum, so please excuse if have made some mistakes. I was in the market for a mid size SUV for the past 1 year and and my rationale for rejecting the Korean and German Twins was the same as @Audik75. I didnt consider XUV 700 because of the steep waiting period (1 year for AX7 D auto variant).
I got the Hyryder Hybrid G variant about 2 weeks back with about 500 KMs on the ODO and this is my initial review.

Startup: As mentioned multiple times in this thread, its super silent. Initial days its a struggle to realize the car has started and we can drive. Got accustomed quickly to the EV mode.

Drive: The Hyryder offers superb pickup and overtaking is a breeze. If you're gentle on the pedal the acceleration is smooth with not much noise from the 3 pot engine. Driving in the infamous Bangalore traffic is effortless, just remove the feet from brake pedal and the car crawls at 8kmph.
Things are a little different on highways. If taken to cruise speeds (less than 100kmph) with light throttle the car gains speed without much noise. If revved too hard and at high triple digit speeds (greater than 120 kmph) the engine gets quite noisy though.

Fuel Efficiency: This is where this car brings a smile everytime you take it out. I've got mileage in the range of 28kmpl to 19kmpl on the ODO for my drive to/from my office 28 kms away. On a highway trip of 200 kms I got 19.5 kmpl on the ODO. When I calculated the FE based on the volume I filled and kms covered, I found it to be around 20.5 kmpl.

Build Quality: This is where my heart sinks every time I open the door. Coming from a 2011 Skoda Fabia, the doors feels like they're made of dried leaves, they're so light. The door handles are another sad story . Why Toyota Why?? Why did you have to follow Suzuki in this department? I am really worried if the doors can protect in case of an unfortunate side impact. The hood and the boot are sufficiently heavy, at par with the Germans. I guess Toyota has designed the car keeping NCAP front and rear impact tests, but they forgot about the side impact scenario. I understand its based on the same platform as Brezza which managed NCAP 4 star, so I hope it can score similar, if not more.

Interiors: The Koreans offer better interior fit and finish, but I have no qualms here. The seats are super comfortable and long highway drives should not be an issue.

These are my observations in the limited time that I have owned this car. I'm planning to take the car on a longer highway trip, I'll post my review on the drive post that.

[tj123]

Originally Posted by sandeepmukunda

Hi, does this also work with Android Auto? Can any other owner comment on this.

Yes, it does supports wireless Android auto.

[supermax]

Originally Posted by karan561

This car was booked on Day 1 when the booking started back in July. Since then i haven't checked one out in the showroom nor Test Driven one. In fact the first time I saw/experienced the Hyryder was on delivery day last week. Special thanks & credit goes to TEAM-BHP's Official Review which helped me go ahead with this choice without having the need to go check her out physically or requiring a Test Drive post booking.

Nice post, but no matter how famous or reliable a source, I'd always want to do my own test. I wouldn't even fully accept a movie review, let alone a car review! What I'd do with a review is to try and see if I can reproduce quirks described, and to see if my experience is the same as that of the reviewer, or if different, how it differed, so kudos to you, and wish you the very best with what appears to be a rugged and reliable Toyota workhorse.

[pannags]

Originally Posted by aa_skoda_toyota

I got the Hyryder Hybrid G variant about 2 weeks back with about 500 KMs on the ODO and this is my initial review.

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new ride.

Originally Posted by aa_skoda_toyota

This is where my heart sinks every time I open the door. Coming from a 2011 Skoda Fabia, the doors feels like they're made of dried leaves, they're so light.

A lot has been spoken and said about the build quality (rather the percieved lack of it) both for the Hyryder and the Grand Vitara. However, given that the car is based on Suzuki TECT Global C platform, I think you needn't lose sleep over this. Safety depends also on the tensility of the steel used, crumple zones, associated tech etc. and not necessarily only the weight and feel of the doors and hoods.

Enjoy your new ride and do share your ownership experiences.

[rr06]

Originally Posted by rr06

[Quick Update] After a lot of escalations, my car has finally reached their showroom & I am getting the delivery on Thursday.

[Update]
Got the delivery of my Hyryder Hybrid V - Red / Black Dual Tone on Thursday. The delivery process was nice & quick. I have driven around 100 kms of city + a bit highway so far. Here is a quick review / some points not covered by others:

• Driving in EV mode if freakishly silent & smooth. Still not gotten used to it.
• It has very good road presence. I have got compliments from strangers on the road.
• Visibility is pretty good from the driving seat, except on the right hand side A pillar. Need to figure out a better seating position.
• Even though the sunroof cover is thin, it serves the purpose of keeping the heat out. I drove during peak afternoon in Mumbai & faced no issues.
• You get to see instant mileage based on how you're driving & which mode you are in. If you adjust your driving style based on the display (it is available on both - the instrument cluster & infotaintment screen, you can get really great mileage out of it).
• Its nice touch of gamification for people who are into it.
• I have been getting 16 kmpl to even upto 32.7 kmpl (!!) mileage for individual trips. Attaching the picture of the highest mileage I have achieved. It was a city + highway run with bad traffic in between. I had my sleeping baby on board, so was driving unusually sedately. This is based on the display, I haven't yet tried the refuelling method to calculate the mileage.
• Door build quality is poor & it takes an effort to close the door properly
• NVH at high speed is not bad. Although, it becomes very apparent when the car is stationery & the engine switches over from battery.

It is overall a safe (hopefully 4 star NCAP), practical family car & I don't regret my decision so far.

[RaviKBobba]

Originally Posted by Audik75

My initial ownership review after 2 days of driving the Hyryder.

Overall, looks like a decent buy and no buyer’s remorse yet (too early I guess).

Congratulations on your purchase & look forward to more details.

[Chrome6Boy]

Originally Posted by supermax

Nice post, but no matter how famous or reliable a source, I'd always want to do my own test. I wouldn't even fully accept a movie review, let alone a car review! What I'd do with a review is to try and see if I can reproduce quirks described, and to see if my experience is the same as that of the reviewer, or if different, how it differed, so kudos to you, and wish you the very best with what appears to be a rugged and reliable Toyota workhorse.

Congratulation karan561, wish you many kms of safe and fun driving!

I bought both the Hyundai Venue, Chevy Cruze and the Vento tsi based on team-bhp reviews (official and owners) without real test drives and I was more than satisfied. I trust these reviews to be completely unbiased and really mirror my own expectations. I guess to each his own though.

[itsmystyle07]

Anyone figure out how to change TPMS units from kPa to Psi ?

[karan561]

Originally Posted by supermax

Nice post, but no matter how famous or reliable a source, I'd always want to do my own test. I wouldn't even fully accept a movie review, let alone a car review! What I'd do with a review is to try and see if I can reproduce quirks described, and to see if my experience is the same as that of the reviewer, or if different, how it differed, so kudos to you, and wish you the very best with what appears to be a rugged and reliable Toyota workhorse.

Thanks for wishes & sharing your thoughts. I have experienced the Hybrid tech before when I test drove the Camry couple of years back so I knew what to expect. Not only that I am not sure if you are aware that I film / review cars & I have been doing that since past 5 + years for my own YouTube channel & this has given me great knowledge, experience and a sense of judgement. All this combined with common sense helped in the decision making process without a test drive.