New Toyota Urban SUV Concept previews upcoming 2024 electric model

• Two sizes of battery will be offered
• Choice of two or four wheel drive
• Launching in 2024

At a recent European press event in Brussels, Toyota unveiled the new Urban SUV Concept, a small electric SUV that the Japanese firm hopes will be production-ready next year. It was one of several new cars on display, the event focusing on zero emission vehicles that will account for a large chunk of Toyota’s sales in coming years.

What is the Urban SUV Concept?

Essentially, the Urban SUV is a concept car providing us with a strong hint towards a new electric model that Toyota will offer in 2024. It will be the smallest in a lineup of five new EVs joining the electric Toyota bZ4X SUV currently on sale. The other upcoming models include two crossovers, a larger SUV, and the Sport Crossover Concept that was revealed at the same event. All five models will appear at some point next year, likely in concept form first, with production models entering the market at a later date.

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Although the model we’ve seen is only a concept, it doesn’t look to be a million miles away from showroom reality. We expect the usual concept car features to change, such as the cameras in place of side mirrors, and the large wheels, but the general proportions and styling details should carry through to production.

It features Toyota’s new front end design language that made its debut on the latest Toyota Prius. Dubbed the ‘hammerhead’, this new look features a full width light bar sitting below the Toyota emblem – expect to see it deployed across future models from the brand.

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At 4.3m long and 1.8m wide, the production version of the Urban SUV Concept will only be marginally larger than the Toyota Yaris Cross. The proportions are squat and chunky, typical for a car of this segment, helping to provide the elevated view of the road that SUV buyers love whilst maintaining a small footprint.

No pictures of the interior have been revealed so far, but Toyota claims its will be “fully flexible”, allowing users to adapt the interior to prioritise passenger or storage space. 

Do we know any technical details?

Toyota has remained tight-lipped about any specific details, but we know the production Urban SUV will be offered with a choice of two batteries and either two or four-wheel drive.

Andrea Carlucci, Director Of Marketing and Product Development at Toyota Motor Europe, told us that, “to be compelling in the small electric SUV market, you need a range of at least 400 kilometres (249 miles)”. We expect that the larger of the two battery options on offer will achieve at least this figure.

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How much will it cost and when can I order one?

No pricing information has been revealed yet, but we expect the production Urban SUV to be priced competitively against Volvo’s EX30, which starts at around £32,000.

Toyota has announced an expected mid-2024 reveal for the production model, so UK buyers should be able to place an order around this time.

Make sure to check out our review of Toyota’s current electric SUV, the bZ4X…