Toyota moves away from burly diesel SUVs with Ebella

Toyota's first standalone electric SUV, the Urban Cruiser Ebella, delivers strong range and performance with premium quality, but rear space and features could have been better, says Somnath Chatterjee.

Toyota is embracing electrification more now and in India too you see the signs with the Urban Cruiser Ebella.

This is its first-born electric SUV which exists as a stand-alone product to fight the likes of the Mahindra BE6, MG Windsor and the Hyundai Creta Electric along with its sibling, the eVitara from Maruti Suzuki.

To be launched soon, the Ebella (Bella means beautiful in Spanish) comes with two battery packs along with a buyback guarantee at 60 percent plus with a BAAS (battery as a service) scheme as well.

We drove the car around India's tech hub Bengaluru and discovered whether it brings something new to the table or not. 

Born electric means distinctive styling

The Urban Cruiser Ebella has no sibling in the Toyota range and being based on a bespoke electric platform means its proportions are radical than a Hyryder.

The front-end is aggressive bearing the latest Toyota design cues but the compact silhouette has a hint of muscle with the flanks and the sculpted lines.

18-inch aero wheels further help the sporty stance while it is not as radical as some space-age rivals, it does pique interest amongst other road users.

We noticed the excellent paint finish as well along with the perfect panel gaps. 

Interiors are quality laden but lack space

The inside is different if you have seen a Fortuner or Hyryder cabin with new switches, finishes and premium materials while the joined screens along with the floating centre console adds a premium touch too.

This is the most feature rich and the plushest Toyota cabin this side of a Camry or Hycross.

Feature list is high too with a powered driver’s seat, ADAS, ventilated seats, JBL audio system, 7 airbags and more. However, V2V or V2L or a dual zone climate control is missed.

The bigger issue is the lack of space at the back with tall passengers finding the headroom in short supply along with a narrow cabin.

You do not sit knees up though and there is a flat floor as well. The boot capacity at 306 litres also falls short and there is no frunk too. 

Fun and enough range for its intended use

There are two LFP battery packs: 49kwh and 61kwh with 174bhp for the larger battery pack while torque is the same at 189Nm.

Range for the 61khw battery pack is 543km and that is is the version to buy with real-world range crossing 400km.

Performance is thrilling and it is quite fun with a power delivery which feels rapid.

There are drive modes and Eco is enough for low-speed city use and Sport is strictly for city with its strong delivery.

Add in compact size and a quick steering wheel, the Ebella is a fun city EV for quick runs.

Ground clearance at 185mm also will not pose any issues while the ride quality is indeed firm with bad roads requiring some caution. ADAS works well on our roads. 

Competent EV but has a lot of competition

The Urban Cruiser Ebella impresses with the powertrain and the range that it offers while the cabin feels premium too along with good looks. However, it falls short in terms of some features and things like regen braking or ventilated seats requires too much poking around the touchscreen along with lack of space too.

As it stands, the looks and the quality plus the assurance of the badge will help it find takers.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff