Toyota Rush compact SUV spotted testing in India

Images of the Toyota Rush compact SUV doing test rounds in Kolhapur, Maharashtra have surfaced on the web. The test mule was neatly draped in a significant amount of camouflage while doing the tests in the city.

The Rush compact SUV is 4,420mm long, 1,745mm wide, 1,740mm high and has a wheelbase of 2,685mm. The second-generation Toyota Rush is currently on sale in Indonesia with a 1.5-litre petrol engine that churns out 107PS of power and 141Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic gearbox. The Rush offers a ground clearance of 200mm and can also be had with an option of third row seat, making it a 5+2 seater.

This SUV is currently unavailable with a diesel engine option which makes it unsuitable for the Indian market where diesel is the most chosen fuel type. The Toyota Rush will also need a lot of re-engineering and R&D which would incur high costs on the carmaker making it  making it an unlikely project for India. Apart from Indonesia, this model is also currently on sale in countries such as Chile, Turkey, Malaysia and China.

Toyota’s only offering in the crossover segment for now is the Toyota Etios Cross. The Toyota Etios Cross is available in both petrol and diesel engine options in a price range between Rs 5.76 lakh and Rs 7.45 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). In the full size SUV segment the Japanese carmaker sells the capable Toyota Fortuner in the country. The Fortuner is powered by a 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged  diesel engine sending power to the rear wheels. The engine is mated to 5-speed manual gearboxes. This SUV retails between Rs 22.25 lakh and Rs 23.88 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Picture Courtsey: IAB