Toyota has launched its head-turning Rukus - a hot and hip urban alternative to small sports-utility vehicles and sports wagons. New Rukus challenges the norms of car design with a brazenly boxy shape that has become iconic.
It has become enormously popular in Japan and the US with buyers going to great lengths to individualise their cars. In short it has become a cult car. Development began 10 years ago in Japan with a model called the Black Box, which sparked a craze among young car-buyers with its upright rectangular design.
Shortly after the turn of the century, Toyota believed the US market was ready for this eye-catching two-box shape. It unveiled the bbX concept car, based on the Black Box, at the 2002 New York motor show. The rest as they say is history.
Rukus is aimed at urban trend-setters as well as young couples who have started or are about to start a family. Coming in three build levels and starting at a MLP of $27,990 for the build 1 through to $31,790 for the build 3 it represents pretty good value and right in the price range for its target market.
The latest must have for the ‘Young Urban Trendsetters”
What is Good?
What is not so Good?
Rather than a case of form over function in the Rukus case the form provides the function.
That upright boxy shape that gives the Rukus its quirky style also is amazingly practical.
When you first approach the Rukus you immediately think of a hot rod that has had the top chopped. The slimline window area and high door panels give it a hotrod look. The traditional style of curvy sleek lines have been ignored and replaced by an upright boxy, yet sleek style. It certainly does have appeal.
Strong vertical and horizontal lines, accentuated by the narrow headlamps and radiator grille, a wheel at each corner, beefy bumpers and a high belt line that stretches the length of the vehicle dominate the visual impact of Rukus.
Despite its upright style its Aerodynamic features include spats for each of the alloy wheels and under the car, a series of covers - at the front, centre, rear and both sides - efficiently direct the flow of air.
Rukus has stylish, wide-set projector-type low-beam headlamps and halogen high-beam headlamps. The tail lamps have a high-contrast blacked-out housing and a clear lens, to accentuate the detail of the lamps. There are LED indicator lamps are built into the exterior rear-view mirrors.
The Rukus has an overall length of 4260mm, wheelbase of 2600mm, width of 1760mm and height of 1645mm. The ground clearance is up to 130mm and the Tare mass is up to 1430kg and sits on 16inch Alloy wheels and 205/55R16 tyres.
Inside the Rukus is typically Toyota and not. Entry is by Toyota smart key that allows you to unlock the car simply by touching the inside of the front door handles - and it also enables you to open the tailgate.
The six-way adjustable driver's seat has 43mm of lift adjustment and plenty of leg room for the cars size. Both front seats are comfortable in cloth or leather accents depending on build level.
Throughout the cabin, there is heaps of handy storage areas - including a wallet holder to the right of the steering wheel, a wide tray area located above the glove box and between the front seats and in the dashboard.
A low-slung open console box in Rukus Build 1 has four convenient compartments - one large and three smaller ones.
Rukus Build 2 and 3 have a taller console box equipped with a console lid that can slide forward up to 90mm for use as an armrest. It also contains a storage compartment accessible to rear-seat passenger as well as a pocket behind the front passenger seat.
Bottle holders are incorporated into the front and rear door trims, and there are cup-holders in the fold-down rear armrest.
Standard features include climate-control air-conditioning with push-button controls. Alloy wheels, cruise control and keyless entry and ignition using Toyota's Smart Entry and Smart Start technology.
Rukus sports front-window UV cut glass, rear-door and rear side door privacy glass and body-coloured exterior power mirrors, plus a one-touch feature for all four power windows.
Other features are a multi-information display, 60/40 split-fold rear seat, front and rear cup holders and the security of an engine immobiliser.
Build 1 Rukus has a three-spoke urethane steering wheel with audio and cruise control switches, a urethane gearshift knob, six-speaker audio system and fabric seat trim.
Build 2 adds leather-accented seats, three-spoke premium steering wheel (with audio and cruise control switches), premium gearshift knob, climate-control air-conditioning and nine-speaker audio including sub woofer. Build 3 adds a power tilt-and-slide moonroof.
In contrast to the dominant rectangular theme, four prominently placed gauges are round - the digital speedometer, tachometer, fuel level and temperature dials. An LCD Multi-Information Display is located to the right of the speedo, closest to the driver. Most people at the launch liked it, me not so much.
In keeping with its trendy image Toyota has a newly developed youth-oriented audio with joystick control.
Sound systems in every Rukus come with at least six speakers, a CD player, Bluetooth™ streaming capability and hands-free mobile-phone connection.
Also standard are USB and 3.5mm audio inputs that allow connection to iPod™ and external media players and storage devices.
Rukus Build 1 has a single CD player incorporated into a unit that features youthful styling with a monochromatic LCD display and amber backlight.
Build 2 and 3 versions are upgraded to nine speakers, including two rear squawkers and a vented sub-woofer.
These models are fitted with a six-CD stacker and a 4.3-inch colour screen to improve image quality.
Safety is a key feature with all models having as standard Toyota's vehicle stability control (VSC), TRC, ABS, BA, EBD, six airbags to protect occupants - SRS driver and front passenger airbags, front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain-shield airbags.
Toyota also designed Rukus with pedestrians in mind, adopting a hollow-frame bonnet that helps reduce injury, and placing the bonnet lock behind the radiator support.
Toyota has upped the power stakes by adding a 2.4-litre engine not the 1.8L found in the normal Corolla. It delivers 123kW of power at 6000rpm and 224Nm of torque at 4000rpm.
This provides enough power for the Rukus and drives through a 4 speed electronically controlled automatic transmission that can also be operated manually with its sequential shift mode which has an ADR economy of 8.8 litres/100km*
The front suspension consists of MacPherson struts, with wide-based L-shaped lower arms to maximise suspension rigidity and provide crisp steering response. Body roll is reduced by a ball-jointed linkage stabiliser bar that connects directly to the strut body.
The rear suspension system consists of a V-shaped cross-section axle beam with two long trailing arms, in conjunction with coil springs and low-pressure gas-filled dampers.
The combination of the above suspension, electric power-assisted steering, new-generation platform and a wheel at each corner means that the Rukus handles well enough for what most drivers would expect of it.
Where do we start? The marketing guys at Toyota went into hyper drive with their marketing gobbledygook about positioning where this vehicle fits and who would buy it. If you listen to them, buy this car and you instantly become young and hip….
However the marketing and PR guys at Toyota are really good and despite me stirring them up about their interesting blurb, this is a vehicle that genuinely requires alternate thinking.
It gives the young singles and young couples something different that is immensely practical. Although it does everything exceptionally competently that is the least of its appeal
This is a car for those who have individuality and want to express it. It’s all about the ‘Look’
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