Toyota Urban Cruiser scores 4-star Global NCAP safety rating

The Toyota Urban Cruiser was among the cars tested in the latest round of Global NCAP’s crash tests. The compact SUV secured a 4-star rating for adult occupant protection and scored 3 stars for child occupant protection. Other models crash tested in this round include the Hyundai Creta and the new i20.

• Bodyshell rated stable and capable of withstanding further loadings

• Scored 36.68 points out of 49 for child protection

• Urban Cruiser outscored Vitara Brezza in crash test results 

Toyota Urban Cruiser Global NCAP crash test rating

The Urban Cruiser tested by Global NCAP was equipped with safety features like dual airbags, ABS, front seatbelt pretensioners and ISOFIX mounts.

For adult occupant protection, the Toyota Urban Cruiser was awarded 4 stars, scoring 13.52 points out of a possible 17. The protection offered to the driver’s and passenger’s head and neck was adjudged to be good while the bodyshell was rated as stable and capable of withstanding further loadings. However, it was judged to have only marginal protection for the driver’s knees and the passenger’s right knee, as they could have an impact with structures behind the dashboard. 

In terms of child occupant protection, the compact SUV scored 3 stars, securing 36.68 points out of 49. The testers noted that the inclusion of ISOFIX child seat mounts (that are clearly marked) as standard helped the SUV’s score. For the dummy representing a 3-year-old, the SUV could prevent excessive forward movement of the head and offer fair protection to the chest and low protection to the neck. Meanwhile, it was said to offer good protection to the head and chest of the dummy representing a 1.5-year-old child.  

Hyundai Creta, i20 & Toyota Urban Cruiser Global NCAP crash test video

Toyota Urban Cruiser vs rivals: crash test rating

The Toyota Urban Cruiser was launched in September 2020 and is basically a badge-engineered Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. The Vitara Brezza too was crash tested by Global NCAP, but that was in 2018 and the model tested was a pre-facelift version. The Vitara Brezza and the Urban Cruiser have both scored 4 stars for adult protection, but the Toyota has a better score of 13.52 points compared to the Maruti’s 12.51. Furthermore, the Urban Cruiser also significantly bettered the Brezza’s score for child protection, scoring 36.68 points for a 3-star rating, while the Maruti scored 17.93 points for a 2-star rating. 

Apart from the Brezza, it rivals other compact SUVs like the Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Mahindra XUV300, Renault Kiger and Nissan Magnite in the market. Out of all these competitors, it’s only the Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV300 that have scored the full 5 stars in the tests, with the latter having a marginally better score for adult protection.

Global NCAP had also crash tested the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger, as part of its last round. Much like the Urban Cruiser, both the Magnite and Kiger were awarded a 4-star rating for adult protection. However, the Toyota (13.52) has managed to outscore both its rivals (Magnite: 11.85, Kiger: 12.34) in terms of points. 

While the Toyota’s crash test ratings are impressive, it is worth noting that the Urban Cruiser is due for a major update in the coming months. This will include sheet metal changes and more safety features, so it’s likely that the upcoming Urban Cruiser facelift's crash test rating could change. 

Global NCAP tests to get more stringent 

While an increasing number of Indian-made vehicles have done well in Global NCAP’s crash tests recently, it must be noted that the watchdog currently only assesses cars for crash safety (passive). However, this is set to change, with greater emphasis being given to crash avoidance (active).

As we had reported, the GNCAP testing will become a lot tougher from this year – 2022 will see ESC being introduced as a requirement, and the side impact test and pedestrian protection test is also set to become standard procedure. 

What do you make of the Toyota Urban Cruiser’s results in the GNCAP tests? Let us know in the comments.