Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella— The movement in the Indian mid-size electric SUV segment has intensified. Vehicle manufacturer Toyota Kirloskar Motor has officially launched its first all-electric car Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella in the country. The company has currently revealed the prices of its top-spectrum and fully-loaded E3 variants. This first battery-electric vehicle (BEV) of the Japanese carmaker has entered the field with the intention of directly giving a tough competition to the upcoming Hyundai Creta Electric (Hyundai Creta EV) and Tata Curve EV.

Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella: Toyota launches its first electric SUV Ebella, direct competition with Hyundai Creta EV; Know the price and features

Price and battery pack: 543 kilometers of travel in one charge

The top-end E3 variant of the Toyota Urban Cruiser Abella has been priced starting at ₹23.60 lakh (ex-showroom). This car is based on the architecture of Maruti Suzuki e-Vitara. In this, customers get a large 61 kWh Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LFP) battery pack, which claims an ARAI certified range of 543 km on a single charge.

This vehicle comes with a front-wheel-drive setup, whose electric motor generates 174 PS of power and 193 Nm of torque. The company has also introduced the option of Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) for modern customers. Under this subscription model, the car can be purchased at an initial upfront price of ₹15.25 lakh, after which battery rental will have to be paid at the rate of ₹4.99 per kilometer. It also has a DC fast charging capacity of 150 kW, through which it charges from 10% to 80% in just 45 minutes.

Cabin Features and Luxury: Who is ahead between Abella and Creta EV?

The interior of Toyota Abella has been given a very premium look. Along with the dual-tone theme in the cabin, the customers have been provided with many segment-first features for a comfortable journey. Comparison of key features of both the vehicles is given below:

• Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella: It has ventilated front seats, ambient lighting with 12 different color shades, panoramic sunroof and the facility to slide and fold the rear seats for flexibility (Sliding/Reclining & 40:20:40 Split Rear Seats). Apart from this, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment and 10.1-inch digital instrument cluster is provided which supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. JBL’s premium sound system is available for audio.
• Hyundai Creta EV: In comparison, the Creta Electric has features like 8-way electrically adjustable seats for the driver and co-passenger, dual-zone automatic climate control, wireless smartphone charger, ventilated seats, cooled glovebox and rear AC vents.

Tight security arrangements: There is huge competition in security also

On the safety front, Toyota has left no stone unturned in Abela. It has 7 airbags as standard. Apart from this, technologies like disc brakes on all four wheels, 360-degree camera, electronic parking brake (with auto hold) and level-2 ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) are included, which provides safety features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and rear cross traffic alert. On the other hand, Creta EV is also making a strong claim in the Indian market with its advanced safety suite and Hyundai SmartSense (ADAS) technology.

What is the update on dealership and delivery?

“Keeping in mind the needs of the Indian market, Toyota has launched the urban cruiser Abella with a state-of-the-art ‘Urban Tech’ design and a long battery warranty of 8 years or 2,00,000 km. Its on-road prices go up to around ₹ 24.99 lakh in major metros of the country including Delhi-NCR. Detailed information about its booking and delivery timeline will be made available soon at authorized Toyota dealerships.”
— Automotive Source Report, New Delhi Bureau

In the coming time, customers buying mid-size electric cars will now have to see a big and tough competition between Japanese and Korean brands, where on one hand Toyota’s Abella is standing with the promise of its long range and resale value, while Hyundai Creta EV is strengthening its ground on the basis of its strong brand value and luxurious cabin features.