2026 Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella - So Near, So Far
Toyota finally steps into India’s EV space with the Urban Cruiser Ebella, but after years of waiting, is it already playing catch-up?
By Aryan Aggarwal
Exactly a year after debuting the Urban Cruiser BEV concept at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo, Toyota has revealed the production version of its first EV for India – the Urban Cruiser Ebella. Following in Maruti’s footsteps, Toyota has neither announced a launch date nor the prices of the all-electric SUV.
The Ebella is Toyota’s rebadged version of the e Vitara, and arguably a prettier one at that. It gets a sleeker face and cleaner headlamps, while the Suzuki looks more aggressive. You can’t really tell one from the other from the side or the rear, though.
As for the interior, well, that’s a copy-paste job, with the differences limited to the logo on the steering wheel. That said, the feature list is extensive, including seven airbags, 360-degree cameras, JBL audio, wireless smartphone connectivity, ventilated front seats, and a Level-2 ADAS suite.
Powertrain options on the India-spec car include a single electric motor producing 142bhp with a 49kWh battery pack, and 172bhp with a larger 61kWh pack. Mechanically, it’s identical to the e Vitara, except for the claimed torque output, which stands at 189Nm – 3Nm less than the Suzuki’s.
The EV is already on sale in Europe as the Urban Cruiser, dropping Ebella from the name. (Doesn’t Ebella sound a bit too familiar?) The Euro-spec model also gets an AWD option with the larger battery pack, which our market misses out on.
When it goes on sale in India, the Ebella will be offered with BaaS, too, along with an 8-year battery warranty. Pre-bookings have commenced, but the delivery timelines have not yet been announced.
