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EV

2026 Toyota Urban Cruiser

The Toyota Urban Cruiser is a new crossover from the Japanese manufacturer that will be produced at Suzuki’s facility in India. It is the production version of the Urban SUV Concept unveiled last year.

The car is 4,285 mm long, 1,800 mm wide, 1,640 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,700 mm, which means it is slightly larger than the Yaris Cross. It is based on a new platform designed for electric vehicles and will be offered with two battery options, as well as front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive.

It is equipped with a lithium-iron-phosphate battery and a heat pump (which saves energy) for the air conditioning system and battery heating to optimize performance in cold conditions. All European versions will have a package of active safety systems, driver assistance systems including a collision warning system, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning system, lane keeping assist, and a 360-degree camera.

The cabin is equipped with a 10.1-inch multimedia system screen, as well as a 10.25-inch instrument cluster. The seats fold in a 40:20:40 ratio, and it should be noted that thanks to the sliding rear seats, the space between the front and rear passengers can be adjusted, creating more space for passengers.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard equipment, and depending on the equipment, the interior has an electronically adjustable driver’s seat, JBL sound system and a fixed panorama.

The Toyota Urban Cruiser comes with two types of batteries, 49 kWh and 61 kWh. The smaller battery comes with a version powered by a single electric motor with 144 hp (106 kW) and 139 lb-ft (189 Nm) of torque, and FWD. The larger battery is offered in the FWD and AWD versions. The more powerful version is powered by a single electric motor with 184 hp (135 kW) and 221 lb-ft (300 Nm) of torque.

The price of the car has not been released.

Source: Toyota

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2026 Toyota Urban Cruiser
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Two motorcycle Dakar Rally champions will be co-drivers in the Toyota Hilux Overdrive T1+

In 24 days, one of the world’s toughest rally races, the Dakar Rally, will kick off in Saudi Arabia. As all the teams make their final checks, drivers Toby Price and Sam Sunderland have completed their first car test with the Toyota Hilux Overdrive T1+.

Toby Price and Sam Sunderland have previously competed in the race as motorcycle riders, and this will be their first time competing in the car category. Price has been competing in car and other events since 2015, and he won the Baja 500 this year and has also scored podiums in the Stadium Super Trucks series. He also recently competed in the Dubai Baja with Hannes Kiningadner.

“It’s all a bit surreal to be honest. We’ve worked so hard on this and it’s incredible to see it all come together. It’s really exciting to show the car to the world and to have the great partners who support us,” said Price.

Sunderland will be the navigator for the team and he highlighted the ability to focus on one thing as a positive aspect of competing in a car. “The advantage is that there are two riders in one car. We’re going to make mistakes, things are going to go wrong sometimes, but we’ll still have some traces of bikes and cars in front of us until we get used to it and find our bearings. After that, we’ll be good,” said Price. “I’m extremely lucky to have been in this sport for a long time and to have good relationships with the riders and drivers. I was lucky to be able to talk to Mathieu Baumel a few days ago and get a lot of information. I still have a lot to learn, but I’m picking out the key information and learning day by day,” said Sunderland.

Pierce highlighted that the advantage of the two will be experience, as they have both won this race twice. “Even though we have more than 20 Dakar participations, this is still a new category for us, so previous victories do not guarantee anything. Finishing the Dakar in the top 10 would be a great result for us. You can make a thousand plans, but it will not be enough. We have to go day by day and make sure the wheels are rolling,” said Price.

It remains to be seen how this duo will work together and whether, with their experience, they will be able to contribute to a good result for the team.

Source: Reuters

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India wants to be a leader in EV production

After China proved itself as a leader in EV production, another Asian country is becoming a center for carbon-neutral vehicle manufacturers. According to the latest information, India could be one of the developing countries that wants to be a leading player in the production of electric cars.

The country has devised a strategy for the development and production of electric cars, although it initially focused specifically on Tesla, which it invited to invest in the construction of a gigafactory, but the American manufacturer has focused on Mexico. However, the announcement of the new President of the United States, Donald Trump, that he will introduce additional tariffs on vehicles imported from Mexico gives India an opportunity to renew negotiations with Tesla. The American manufacturer has already suspended the construction of a factory in Mexico.

The suspension of Tesla Model 2 production in Mexico was the main motive for Musk to go to India, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi canceled the meeting. The Indian government intends to launch its electric car production plan in March 2025, which Tesla and other major manufacturers see as a new opportunity. The plan is to expand aid to existing manufacturers rather than restricting benefits to new plant construction. India is ready to help any manufacturer that invests at least $500 million in electric vehicle production with 50 percent of components sourced locally. The government is also offering a 15 percent import tax cut for up to 8,000 electric cars a year.

Toyota and Hyundai have already shown interest, although it is not known whether they would use existing plants or build new ones. Hyundai already knows that the €500 million spent on research and development will not be included in the total investment, so the Korean company is waiting for the final guidelines for its electric car plan in India.

Volkswagen, which already has plants in India, wants to know if it could spend 75 percent of the total investment in the first three years, rather than the entire $500 million at once. Also, if VW decided to use its factories in Pune, they would have to install new lines separate from those for the production of combustion engine cars.

Source: Reuters