So you say you’ve never heard of the 2022 Toyota Rumion? Where have you been? Actually, it is understandable if you haven’t. The Rumion is a small three-seat van specifically for the South African market. Yes, some countries get Toyota products exclusively. 

The Toyota Rumion van is a rebadged Suzuki Ertiga

Though we should point out that “exclusively” is a bit of a stretch. That’s because the Rumion is really just a rebadged Suzuki Ertiga van sold in Indonesia. In fact, the only differences are the grille, wheels, and badges. Everything else about it is literally the same as the Ertiga.

Toyota and Suzuki have been doing these rebadges for a while. The Toyota Glanza is a rebadged Suzuki Baleno in India. And the same is true of the Toyota Urban Cruiser and Suzuki Vitara Brezza. In Europe, the Suzuki Swace is a Toyota Corolla Sport Tourer, and the Suzuki Across is a Toyota RAV4. 

The Toyota Rumion packs in three rows of seats

For as compact as the Ertiga/Rumion is it can still pack in three rows of seats. That is partly due to the short hood, with the engine set back. It’s only 173-inches long, with a 107.9-inch wheelbase. And it is almost as wide as it is tall; 68-inches and 66.5-inches respectively. 

Power is from a naturally-aspirated 1.5-liter four-banger driving the front wheels. It pumps out 103 hp and 101.8 lb-ft of torque. Transferring that power is a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. 

The Rumion starts at $16,382

These are really fairly inexpensive for what you get. A stripper version starts at $16,382. A top-of-the-line Rumion runs at just a tick over $21,000. The only downside is the limited safety equipment.

Even the top trim model only comes with two airbags in front and ABS. That’s it. And the infotainment screen is even Suzuki’s touchscreen. So both safety and convenience are a bit compromised. 

Could the Rumion make it to the US?

Is there a chance we’ll get the Rumion in the US? Are you kidding? Heck no, as the minivan segment is dwindling from lack of demand. And the pesky Chicken Tax poses problems for anything not built here that could be considered a cargo hauler. But if you need a van of this size there are ways to get that.

You could buy a smaller cargo van and convert it to a passenger van. But for the added cost and effort anyone contemplating doing it will find that a smaller truck or SUV can almost do the same thing. So as much as we would like to think it can be done here, the returns are diminished. 

So now you know what a Toyota Rumion is. And you also see the interesting synergies competitors can sometimes make.