Toyota prepping Urban Cruiser-inspired SUV for Europe
Click image for hi-res gallery of the Urban Cruiser Concept
While its RAV4 is a sales success in Europe, Toyota has no entry with which to compete in the constantly-growing small SUV segment. The solution? Take the JDM Toyota Ist, which is essentially the USDM Scion xD, and make an SUV out of it. The butched-up variant will bow in March '08 at the Geneva show and go on sale in Europe shortly thereafter. According to Automotove News, the still-unnamed sport ute will derive its styling from Toyota's 2006 Urban Cruiser concept (above). No word yet on what the powertrain offering(s) will be, but we'll find out soon enough. March isn't all that far off.
[Source: Automotive news, sub. req'd]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Zerk 4:10PM (11/12/2007)
Don't like it. Proportions are all wrong.
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cowboy bob 8:57AM (11/13/2007)
I like it. The proportions are all new.
Zerk 9:34AM (11/13/2007)
I had a bowel movement this morning that looked exactly like a miniture version of this Toyota, only it was brown.
Jason 4:29PM (11/12/2007)
What's with the massively thick C/D pillars on everything now? Maybe they figure with a zillion airbags in the vehicles we don't need to actually see where we're going?
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Thunderbuck 5:37PM (11/12/2007)
That's so flippin' CUTE!!
Oddly enough, it actually manages to look tough. Don't know how it would sell here, but with all those V8's in their line-up now, Toyota might just need the extra CAFE credits.
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Egisto Soldi 6:37PM (11/12/2007)
Little Suv? There are a lot of those cars, in Europe. It's really difficult for Toyota... two much "enemies". http://autonovita.blogosfere.it/2007/11/toyota-minisuv-in-arrivo.html#more
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Guenther 9:43PM (11/12/2007)
This reminds me of Honda's slow selling HRV. For Europoean roads, even the RAV4 is pretty sizable, so this could be a decent fit. In Mexico, the little VW XFox (cross-fox) and the little Ford EcoSport seem to be everywhere you turn, so some people definitely buy this kind of thing.
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Ed 12:15PM (11/13/2007)
Also in some parts of the world Toyota sells a small SUV made by Daihatsu called Toyota Terios, now in the second generation for 2009... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daihatsu_Terios
Eduardo 5:36AM (11/13/2007)
the ugliest car I've ever seen. it even beated Fiat Multipla, Cadillac DTS, the japanese kei-cars and the whole Buick and Mercury ranges. yuck!
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