Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder special feature: Hybrid long drive via the Palakkad Gap
We drive through the south of India via the Palakkad Gap, with the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder to prove a hybrid powertrain’s capabilities;
Every long drive has a turning point. a stop or a detour – but a moment when the journey changes character. For us, it was the stretch where Tamil Nadu faded in the mirrors, and Kerala rolled into view. Where the land opened up, the skies turned darker, and the wind suddenly had somewhere to go. That stretch is called the Palakkad Gap. Most people don’t give it a second thought. It looks like any other highway flanked by hills. But it’s one of the most important geographical features in South India – a 30km wide pass in the Western Ghats that lets in the monsoon, carries trade and helps migration. And our steed for this road trip was the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder.
We were excited to embark on our 800km long drive in the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Hybrid, starting from Bengaluru — Shot by Rohit G Mane for evo India
Our drive began in Bengaluru, heading south-west across changing terrain – city sprawl, dry plains, narrow town roads, big highways and finally the hills. The crew and I flew in from Pune, excited to get away from the unseasonal rainfall and bouts of heat, to spend a fun few days living with the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. Now, I have driven many cars across towns, cities and states, but somehow never gotten my hands on any hybrid car for such trips, until now. I was excited to know how it feels driving one for around 800km and even more excited to check out the fuel economy.
The Hyryder makes driving in traffic a rather relaxing exercise in the EV mode with the added advantage of achieving 23.4kmpl of fuel-efficiency —Shot by Rohit G Mane for evo India
After picking the car up from a Toyota dealership, Rohit and I decided to explore the city. I hadn’t been to Bengaluru too many times, but I knew it is a fun city and I needed to explore it more. The chaotic traffic is infamous and it’s all true. You do end up taking more time to get to the city from the airport, than you do flying from your city to Kempegowda International Airport. But lucky for us, we had the sorted and refined Hyryder. Hybrids are the most fun because you get the benefits of stealth-mode driving and all-electric driving in the city at lower speeds, but also don’t have to deal with any kind of range anxiety or waste time stopping to charge the car enroute. I drove about 160km on day 1, just exploring the city. Most of the time was spent in traffic, in EV mode. This meant that I got less tired while driving in traffic because there were no engine vibrations filtering into the cabin through the floorboard and it was all serene, except for the unending honking by fellow motorists. I got a 23.4kmpl fuel-efficiency readout on day 1; in stop-go traffic! I was so surprised that I couldn’t shut up about it. I drove the way I would drive any petrol car and those would give me 10-12kmpl depending on the car. This was double of that!
On our second leg from Bengaluru to Thrissur, the Hyryder comfortably cruised at 80kmph; we enjoyed open roads with a smooth ride and a quiet cabin — Shot by Rohit G Mane for evo India
Next day, we set off at dawn to beat the traffic, catch the sunrise and cover some ground before it started to get warm outside. The plan was simple; drive from Bengaluru to Thrissur, in Kerala and prove a hybrid powertrain’s capabilities. Worth noting that Toyota is the OG when it comes to hybrids in India, popularising it with the likes of the Camry. After exiting Bengaluru, the roads opened up and so did the Hyryder. Cruising at 80kmph, it was in its element. The cabin was quiet, the ride was smooth and the fuel gauge seemed to move slower than Bengaluru traffic on a Monday morning.
The SUV sports a brand-new 1.5-litre 3-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine which puts out 91bhp, and is mated to an e-CVT transmission. This engine is mated to an electric motor placed on the front axle rated for 79bhp. The combined total power output is 114bhp. Torque from the ICE is 122Nm which peaks at a relatively high 4800rpm, and the electric motor puts out 141Nm instantaneously and stays flat all the way to 3995rpm.
The hybrid powertrain handles the switch between electric and petrol with such finesse, you barely notice anything happening. And that’s the beauty of it. But when we needed to get going – a quick overtake or closing a gap – the engine stepped in with just the right amount of punch. You even get Sport Mode and all this proves that this isn’t just a city-slicker hybrid, it can hold its own on the highway too. I was even surprised with how good the handling was, as the steering wheel feels direct and the chassis is robust enough to not get unsettled by bumps, potholes or extension links.
The Hyryder is a handsome looking machine with its 17-inch wheels, dual-tone paint and details like the split LED headlamps and carbonfibre vinyl upfront set it apart on the road — Shot by Rohit G Mane for evo India
When we stopped for breakfast, I was able to snag a parking spot right next to our table. And that gave me a chance to soak in the Hyryder’s aesthetics. The design flows well and the 17-inch wheels compliment the full package. The dual-tone paint, split LED headlamps and carbonfibre vinyl integrated into the grille, make the car look sporty. What stands out most though, is how complete the package feels – ventilated seats, electronically-adjustable driver’s seat, soft-touch dashboard, premium dual-tone interior, reclining rear seats, rear sunshades and a cabin that feels more lounge than car. There’s also the panoramic sunroof – it’s huge. Not just big. Huge. It’s the kind of sunroof that makes everyone in the back seat go “ooh” in unison.
The Hyryder's 9-inch infotainment system is intuitive to use, has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; the Toyota i-Connect also adds value to the package — Shot by Rohit G Mane for evo India
The 9-inch touchscreen info system has a good UI, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wirelessly enabled. The Toyota i-Connect also worked without a fuss, and yes, there was a moment when we used the Find My Car feature in a crowded parking lot because we didn’t remember where we had parked. Features such as cruise control, drive modes, automatic climate control and a head-up display made longer highway stints comfortable.
The Sportin Red colour of the Hyryder looked appealing, especially against all the green scenery; the onboard safety tech such as the ESP ensured control on the twisty roads — Shot by Rohit G Mane for evo India
As we crossed the border of Tamil Nadu and entered Kerala, the roads got narrow but the Hyryder didn’t miss a beat. The landscape was all palm trees, overcast skies and clouds bouncing off of the hilltops. And not only did we want some good photos of the car but also wanted to have some fun on the twisties. So, we went trail hunting in Kava, in Palakkad. The car handles very well through the twisties and I mostly kept the car in Sport Mode to make sure I don’t lose power on any of the turns. I was aided by the Hyryder’s safety suites such as the Electronic Stability Control, six airbags, all-wheel disc brakes and a 360-degree camera. Once we entered the trails and forest area, it was mesmerising. The views were unreal and I couldn’t stop taking pictures of the car against those backdrops, because the Sportin Red colour sat well with the whole landscape. We didn’t want to disturb any wildlife so I creeped stealthily in EV mode too at times. We even went over rocky and slippery terrain and it didn’t hesitate once.
The Hyryder's biggest draw was its exceptional and effortless fuel efficiency; it was averaging on 25kmpl despite carrying four people and their luggage with the AC on full blast — Shot by Rohit G Mane for evo India
The biggest takeaway from this drive for us was the fuel efficiency. It was just so good. Over the course of nearly 800km, with luggage, four people, a whole lot of AC use, spirited driving and scenic detours, we averaged around 25kmpl. No tricks. No hypermiling. Just normal driving. That’s twice of what some petrol SUVs give, and this one didn’t even make us change our habits. Except maybe talking about fuel economy more than usual at dinner. Our total running cost for 800km was roughly ₹3250, and if we were to do this in any other petrol SUV with an average fuel efficiency of 12kmpl, then we would have spent approximately ₹6750.
The Hyryder kept us great company and its LED projector headlamps vastly improved visibility at night; the advantage of EV only power made it the exercise pocket friendly in terms of fueling — Shot by Rohit G Mane for evo India
As the sun went down and dusk started to set in, we carried on to our final destination which was Thrissur, about an hour’s drive away. The LED projector headlamps lit up the tarmac well and I was driving with ease. All said and done, the Hyryder delivered. It made the entire long drive easy, kept us comfortable, gave us the flexibility of having electric power without ever asking us to plug it in, and somehow made ‘just cruising’ feel a little bit special. Sure, we came for the hybrid powertrain. But we also stayed for the sunroof, the seat coolers and the smug satisfaction of getting 25kmpl without even trying.