Toyota Rush Heads To Another Right-Hand-Drive Market But India

South Africa, another right-hand drive market receives the compact Toyota SUV, but plans for India are nowhere in sight

If there is one budget product that has been elusive to the Indian car market for long, it is the Toyota Rush SUV. The company has remained tight-lipped regarding its India launch but as we keep waiting for it, another RHD market, South Africa, is preparing to receive the SUV in the coming days. It was first introduced in Indonesia last year.  

Instagram posts of a South African Toyota dealer confirm that the Rush will be launched in just one variant but with both manual and automatic transmission to choose from: Rush High MT - ZAR 302,900 (Rs 15.14 lakh) and Rush High AT- ZAR 3,16,600 (Rs 15.82 lakh).

Under the Rush’s hood is a 1.5-litre inline four-cylinder petrol engine which churns out 104PS@6000rpm with 139Nm@4,200rpm of torque. The gearbox options are a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed AT which sends power to the rear wheels.

There will be three rows for seating. The High variant will include features like LED head- and tail-lamps, 16-inch alloy wheels, auto climate control and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

The Toyota Rush with its Fortuner-ish styling could make sense for the Indian market as well but Toyota India probably has different plans. The Japanese carmakers has been denying any launch rumours about the Rush.

Toyota might not be keen to play in the compact SUV space just now in India, where competition is heating up with multiple launches in the pipeline in the form of the Nissan Kicks, the Kia SP Concept-based SUV and MG’s unnamed debut SUV. These compact SUVs will take on well-established rivals like the Hyundai Creta and Renault Duster.

Toyota will, instead, soon enter the sub-compact SUV race to rival the likes of the Ford EcoSport and Tata Nexon. In fact, it will be the Vitara Brezza that will be cross-badged to bear Toyota’s logo under a new partnership between both the carmakers. The Toyota’s version of the Brezza could be a more premium offering and might, therefore, carry a higher sticker price than the Brezza.

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