2022 Toyota Rumion Three-Row MPV Is A Rebadged Suzuki Ertiga For South Africa

If we told you that Toyota has just launched a new MPV for 2022, you would probably think of the Sienna. However, despite being a three-row minivan, the Toyota Rumion for South Africa is a completely different vehicle. In fact, the model is sharing everything but the badges with the Suzuki Ertiga that was unveiled back in 2018 in Indonesia.

Design-wise, the only difference between the Rumion and the Ertiga is the badges, the grille, and the 15-inch wheels. The new Toyota Rumion also retains the same dashboard and steering wheel design, as well as the Suzuki-sourced infotainment touchscreen.

The Toyota Rumion is measuring 4,395 mm (173 inches) long, 1,735 mm (68.3 inches) wide, and 1,690 mm (66.5 inches) tall, with a 2,740 mm (107.9 inches) wheelbase. This is quite compact for a seven-seater, but thanks to a short bonnet the cabin has enough room for three rows.

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With all seven passengers seated, there are 153 liters (5.4 cubic feet) of cargo space. In a five-seat layout, the boot is 550 liters (19.4 cubic feet) while folding all seats will give you access to 803 liters (28.4 cubic feet). The tall roofline means that all of the passengers will enjoy adequate headroom, while from the press pictures we can see that the last row even has its own cupholders.

As with the Suzuki Ertiga, the Toyota Rumion is based on a stretched version of the Suzuki Swift chassis. Under the bonnet there is a naturally-aspirated 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 103 hp (77 kW / 105 PS) and 138 Nm (101.8 lb-ft) of torque. Power is transmitted to the front wheels through a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.

If you are wondering about pricing, the base-spec 2022 Toyota Rumion with steelies starts from a sensible R245,600 ($16,382) in South Africa, while the most expensive variant with the automatic gearbox tops out at R317,200 ($21,158). Don’t expect any sophisticated safety equipment though since the Rumion only comes with two airbags and ABS.

This is not the first time Toyota is offering a rebadged Suzuki and vice-versa. In India, the Toyota Glanza is a Suzuki Baleno, and the Toyota Urban Cruiser is a Suzuki Vitara Brezza. On the other hand, the Suzuki Swace in Europe is a Toyota Corolla Sport Tourer, while the Suzuki Across is based on the Toyota RAV4.