Toyota's First EV in India: The Urban Cruiser Electric SUV Arrives

The Urban Cruiser EV is arriving as Toyota’s first all-electric vehicle in India. With prices expected to start at around Rs 19 lakh ($21,000), the entry-level EV will compete in the heart of India’s booming electric SUV market. The Urban Cruiser SUV is Toyota’s first EV in India After launching the Urban Cruiser EV in Europe last month, Toyota is bringing the low-cost electric SUV to a new global market. The Urban Cruiser will be the first Toyota EV available in India, a country emerging as a high-potential global hub for electric vehicles. Domestic brands like Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra dominated the market, supported by locally built EVs and favorable government policies. Meanwhile, global leaders like BYD and Tesla face high import tariffs, making it harder to compete. Advertisement - scroll for more content Some foreign brands, such as Hyundai, are gaining a foothold in the local EV market with domestically built models like the Creta Electric. Toyota will take a similar approach with the Urban Cruiser EV. The electric SUV is a twin to the Maruti Suzuki e-Vitarra and will be built at Suzuki Motors’ massive Gujarat plant. As with the E-Vitarra, the Urban Cruiser is expected to be available with two battery packs: 49 kWh and 61 kWh, delivering an ARAI-certified range of up to 543 km (337 miles). Toyota claims it will offer a driving range of over 500 km (310 miles) on a single charge. Like the version sold in Europe, the interior is expected to feature a 10.25″ driver display and 10.1″ touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Toyota also included plenty of physical buttons for climate control, media volume, and more. Although it has yet to announce final specs, it will likely offer up to 310 L of boot space, similar to the EU model. We will learn more, including prices, when Toyota officially launches the Urban Cruiser EV in India on January 20, 2026. According to Autocar India, prices are expected to start at around Rs 19 lakh-25 lakh ($21,000-$27,500). At that, it will compete with the Hyundai Creta Electric, which is priced from Rs 18.02 lakh ($19,800), and other midsize electric SUVs such as the Tata Curvv EV, MG ZS EV, and Mahindra BE 6. Will Toyota bring the Urban Cruiser to the US? Don’t get your hopes up. The electric SUV is produced in India and designed for overseas markets, such as Europe. Toyota, however, is launching the 2026 C-HR in the US in early 2026. The electric SUV is smaller than the current bZ and is expected to start at under $35,000.