The second-generation Toyota Veloz has been a smash hit in Southeast Asia ever since it was revealed. Safe to say that it’s a huge leap from the old model, and the market has responded by buying it in droves.
There is a wide variety of Toyota Veloz variants available in other parts of the region. However, what seems to be missing is a crossover-looking version that will appeal to the outdoorsy types. Sure, these ‘SUV-inspired’ MPVs can’t go off-road, but sales of the Honda BR-V and Mitsubishi Xpander Cross prove there’s a market for it.
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In response, Toyota has made ‘beefier’ version of the Veloz, at least for the Thai market. Dubbed the X Urban, one could say it’s the front-wheel driver version of the Rush. Mind you, the Veloz X Urban is more than just the regular model with extra cladding.
For starters, the lower half of the front bumper has been reshaped to lessen instances of scraping. The same goes for the rear bumper with its unique look. Fender flares are more prominent in the X Urban, and there’s extra cladding on the doors to make it look more, um, SUV-like.
But perhaps the most significant change here is the additional ground clearance. The standard Veloz has a clearance of 190mm. While decent, most of its rivals are over the 200mm mark. With that, the X Urban gains 15mm, raising ride height to 205mm. It might not sound like much, but that figure puts the Veloz on par with its rivals. It then rides on unique alloy wheels that’s exclusive to this variant.
Mechanically, it remains unchanged. That means it still uses a 1.5-liter engine with Dual VVT-i tech. Power output is retained at 105hp and 138Nm of torque. The lone transmission choice is a CVT.
Given that high-riding MPVs have been the rage in Southeast Asia, it should be a neat addition to the local Toyota lineup.
