Author: Sam Spiller

Being a resident of a major South African city, I can completely understand the appeal of the urban cruiser. A mini-SUV that handle the day’s shopping, having being done just before dropping the kids off at rugby practice, all the while sipping petrol like it was a cup of tea (why South Africans don’t even think of a station wagon when looking for a car of that utility, I’ll never know). Hence, the South African market for such a car is a lucrative one, which, while people would argue that Ford kick-started with their Ecosport, I’d say was the Nissan…

Okay, I need to provide some context. In the same week that I had the chance to take the Toyota CH-R out for a test drive, it was preceded by a test drive of Hyundai’s new Creta. This is important to note, as these two cars are priced very nearly the same, and are aimed at conquering the same urban cruiser vehicle segment. Because of this, this review cannot just be framed like a comparison of the CH-R to the Creta, despite it being very tempting to do so. It’s not fair on either vehicle. That being said, apart from…