Toyota recently revealed its range of upcoming 2026 models, which includes the Toyota Urban Cruiser BEV. Unlike the bZ4X, the Japanese carmaker’s new electric vehicle entry will be a smaller, more affordable model. For this comparison, we’ll be pitting it against the popular BYD Atto 3.
The new challenger from Japan by way of India versus the crowd favorite from China. We’ll be using the Urban Cruiser variant similar to the one previewed by Toyota Motor Philippines, and the Atto 3 Premium variant.
The Urban Cruiser measures 4,285mm long, 1,800mm wide, and 1,635mm tall. This makes it 170mm shorter, 75mm narrower, and 25mm taller than the Atto 3. It rides on a 2,700mm wheelbase, which is 20mm less than that of its BYD rival. The Urban Cruiser comes standard with 27.7-inch-diameter 225/55 R18 tires, which are 0.4 inches taller than the Atto 3 Premium’s 27.3-inch-diameter 235/50 R18 rubber. Both electrified vehicles are equipped with alloy wheels; the Urban Cruiser has aero covers. Since both vehicles are crossovers, we need to talk about ground clearance figures: The Toyota BEV wins in this department with 180mm, which is 30mm greater than BYD’s 150mm.
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Time for a quick overview: The Urban Cruiser is a product of Suzuki and Toyota’s joint venture, and is manufactured at Suzuki’s plant in India. The front-wheel-drive subcompact crossover comes with two battery options: The 49kWh battery with a 344km WLTP range and the larger 61kWh battery with a 426km WLTP range. In some markets like Europe, an AWD version is available. For those wondering, the Urban Cruiser made its ASEAN debut in Indonesia, where it’s currently offered only as a 61kWh FWD variant. Perhaps this is a hint of what we could expect in our market.
The Atto 3 is BYD’s popular compact crossover. In the Philippine market, it’s offered in two front-wheel-drive flavors: the Dynamic variant with a 49.9kWh battery and a 345km WLTP range (410km NEDC), and the Premium variant with a larger 60kWh battery and a 420km WLTP range (480km NEDC).
While the two fully electric crossovers technically belong to different segments, they’re quite close in size, with the Toyota being a large subcompact and the BYD being a small compact. As of this writing, Toyota Motor Philippines has not released any official pricing or details for its upcoming Philippine-spec Urban Cruiser, so stay tuned.
What do you think of the new Toyota Urban Cruiser battery electric vehicle? If priced right, would you consider it over the popular BYD Atto 3? Let us know in the comments.
