It has just been days since Toyota launched the much-awaited Urban Cruiser eBella electric SUV in India with an ex-showroom price of Rs 23.60 lakh for the fully-loaded (E3) variant. Prices of the lower trims are yet to surface. Many found the pricing to be quite high for a badge-engineered Maruti eVitara. As a matter of fact, the eVitara is over 3.6 lakh more affordable. The carmaker has now released the Battery as a Service (BaaS) prices for the electric SUV. Under this scheme, the upfront cost comes down to Rs 15.25 lakh, for the range-topping trim. The battery rent in this case is Rs 4.99 per km.
The BaaS prices, if you see, are higher than those of the eVitara. Under BaaS, Maruti eVitara’s top-spec trim with the 61.1 kWh battery pack has an upfront price of Rs 14.29 lakh- almost 1 lakh rupees more expensive. Maruti charges a battery rent of Rs 4.39 per km. This is again, at least 60 paise more in comparison.
So overall, a top-spec eBella is more expensive than the eVitara. We expect the standard and BaaS prices of lower eBella variants to be out in the coming weeks.
The eBella is essentially a rebranded eVitara. In comparison, it gets noticeable design changes. Toyota calls it the ‘Urban Tech’ design philosophy. Mainly, the front fascia now has a hammerhead-style design. It has sleek LED headlamps, gloss black EV grille, pixel-style LED DRLs, chunky bumpers and more. The side view remains largely similar to the eVitara’s. It rides on 18-inch alloy wheels. The e-SUV even has a coupe-like roofline. Overall the eBella comes with good road presence.
Inside, the overall styling and cabin layout will remind you of the Maruti Suzuki counterpart. The Toyota version, however, gets a black-and-tan dual-tone interior colour theme.
It comes with features like dual screens (10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.1-inch touchscreen), wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, JBL premium audio, wireless charging pad, ventilated front seats, air purifier, rotary gear selector, panoramic glass roof, ambient lighting with 12 selectable colours, multiple drive modes,a 360-degree camera, an electronic parking brake, ADAS, and more. Almost all of these features are shared with the Maruti version.
The rear has a flat floor and seats that recline slightly. Toyota plans to sell the EBella in three trims- E1, E2, and E3. The E1 is likely to be offered with the smaller battery pack alone. The other two will come with the larger unit.
The eBella is underpinned by the same Heartect-e platform as the eVitara. This skateboard architecture was co-developed by Suzuki, Toyota and Daihatsu. It is quite versatile and modular. It can support various body styles. Two battery options are also available- 49kWh and 61.1 kWh. The smaller battery version comes with an electric motor that makes 142hp while the larger comes with a 172hp motor. Torque in both cases is 189Nm.
The bigger battery can charge from 10 to 80 percent in around 45 minutes and is claimed to deliver a range of 543km per charge. Toyota is offering an 8-year battery warranty on the eBella. In India, this electric SUV competes with the likes of Hyundai Creta Electric, Mahindra BE6, Tata Curvv.EV, MG Windsor EV, MG ZS EV, Vinfast VF6, and of course, the eVitara. The upcoming Tata Sierra.EV will also rival this electric SUV.
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