A few weeks ago, we had the privilege of getting first drive of Toyota’s latest small SUV, the Rush. This was for a magazine cover photo shoot and the Rush was not yet available in the market.

It was a curious model for us because Toyota already had a small SUV in the Avanza. But no matter, this was a Toyota and we knew it would be another seller. As of this writing, actually, the Rush has already sold over 1,300 units, just a month from its market introduction.

We like the design of the Rush. It has a tasteful exterior, modern interior and its basic features were designed for an active lifestyle. We knew this was targeted at the millennial group, that young upward mobile people who like to work and party at the same time.

The facia of the Rush has that typical smiling arc with stylish LED headlamps at its side. It stands on 17-inch alloy wheels, bigger than normal, lending to its 220mm high ground clearance.

The engine is a 1.5 liter VVT-I controlled by a 3-speed automatic transmission. It can seat 7-adults with still roomy luggage compartment at the back. Standard on its dash is a 7-inch touchscreen Apple certified entertainment system. Oh, and did we mention 8-speakers?

The Rush also has a class leading 6-SRS airbags to ensure the safety of all passengers and it can be operated by a start/stop button.

The Rush is available in 3 variants, 1.5 G A/T, 1.5 E A/T and the 1.5 E M/T.