Toyota India enters CNG market with Glanza, Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Toyota Kirloskar Motor has announced its entry into India’s CNG (compressed natural gas) passenger vehicle market with two products across different segments. The Glanza hatchback and the Urban Cruiser Hyryder SUV are the first Toyotas in India to get the factory-fitted CNG treatment. The Urban Cruiser Hyryder becomes the first SUV in India to get CNG power.

The Toyota Glanza CNG variant, available in S and G trims with manual transmission, is priced at Rs 843,000 and Rs 946,000 respectively. The Glanza CNG, which is powered by the same 1.2-litre petrol engine in the standard Glanza and the Maruti Baleno, is equipped with a five-speed manual transmission powertrain. In petrol-only mode, the engine develops 90hp and 113Nm torque; in CNG mode, the power output drops to 77hp and 98.5Nm. Toyota claims that Glanza CNG delivers fuel efficiency of 30.61km/kg.

Online bookings for the premium Glanza hatchback have opened for a token amount of Rs 11,000. Compared to its petrol-powered sibling, the Glanza CNG costs Rs 95,000 more. The Glanza becomes the second premium hatchback in its class (after the recently launched Maruti Baleno CNG is the first) to be equipped with a factory-fitted CNG kit.

With the 55-litre CNG tank in the boot, the Glanza CNG has to do with less boot storage capacity when compared to its petrol-powered version. There is no change in the dual tone interior, consisting of the same switchgear and steering wheel as the Baleno. The Glanza CNG in its G trim gets equipment like LED projector headlamps, 16-inch alloys, a 7.0-inch touchscreen, voice assistant, connected car tech with OTA updates, start/stop button, and six airbags.

The Glanza CNG’s direct rival is the recently launched Maruti Baleno CNG whose pricing starts at Rs 828,000 (ex-showroom-Delhi) and also competes with other premium hatchbacks like the Tata Altroz, Maruti Baleno and the Hyundai i20, which currently do not have a CNG option.

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder is India’s first CNG-SUV
The Urban Cruiser Hyryder CNG is now the first CNG-powered model in the midsize SUV segment. Although prices for this variant are yet to be revealed, TKM has opened bookings for a token amount of Rs 25,000. The factory-fitted CNG kit will be offered with the same Maruti-sourced 1.5-litre K15C, four-cylinder engine that already powers the Ertiga CNG and XL6 CNG MPVs.

While no official power and torque numbers have been revealed for the Hyryder CNG, this engine develops 88hp and 121.5Nm in the XL6 CNG. TKM has claimed a fuel efficiency figure of 26.10 km/kg, slightly less than the XL6 CNG’s 26.32km/kg.

The Hyryder CNG will be offered on the mid-spec S and G trims of the standard SUV. The G trim typically comes generously equipped with features such as full-LED headlamps, 17-inch alloy wheels, 9-inch touchscreen infotainment, ambient interior lighting and side and curtain airbags.

The Hyryder CNG will soon get a rival in the Maruti Grand Vitara CNG, which will be its only rival in the foreseeable future. And while the segment is currently inclined towards petrol-only models with the likes of Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun, MG Astor and Nissan Kicks, there are diesel powertrain options also available with the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos.

Nonetheless, Maruti and Toyota have set themselves themselves apart from the class, first with their strong-hybrid powertrain and now with the segment-first factory-fitted CNG kit in an SUV. For those strictly prioritising fuel efficiency, if the strong-hybrid variants were pricey, the CNG variants should fill up that space just right.

Changing market dynamics of CNG power
Maruti Suzuki, which recently expanded its CNG model range to 12 with CNG power being extended to its premium Nexa channel and Baleno hatchback and XL6 MPV, is the CNG-PV market leader. It gets a fifth of its total sales from the alternate fuel and the share increases to 30% in models where CNG is available as an alternative. In the first six months of FY2023, Maruti Suzuki has sold 167,000 units of CNG-powered vehicles. And, of the currently 400,000-odd order backlog, CNG vehicles account for 125,000 units.

With petrol and diesel prices not expected to come down anytime soon, and despite eight price hikes this year, CNG (currently priced at Rs 89.50 in Mumbai) continues to have a fair price differential – Rs 16.79 – with a petrol litre albeit much reduced from Rs 44 around 21 months ago. With CNG power coming to premium products, Toyota Kirloskar Motor would be looking to have a market advantage.

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