You could in all likelihood be looking at the successor to the evergreen Corolla hatch and sedan as the market continues its move away from traditional styles.
Corolla Cross joins the Yaris Cross, C-HR, RAV4, Kluger, Fortuner, Land Cruiser Prado and Land Cruiser 300 Series in Toyota’s ever-growing lineup of SUVs.
And, like many of the aforementioned models, it is available with a fuel saving hybrid petrol-electric powertrain — one that importantly recharges itself.
It’s the right-size and the timing couldn’t be better, but it’s going to cost you almost $5000 more to get into one and there’s sure to be a long wait. But hey?
STYLING
Looking much like a smaller version of the RAV4, there’s three versions from which to choose: GX, GXL and Atmos.
There’s also petrol or hybrid powertrains, and front- or all-wheel drive, with pricing starting from $33,000 plus on-roads for the front-drive, petrol-powered GX. For $2500 more you can have the same car with a fuel-saving hybrid.
AWD is another $3000, but available only with GXL and Atmos.
GX comes with 17-inch alloys, LED head and tail lights, automatic high beam, daytime running lights as well as heated auto folding door mirrors. Inside, you’ll find cloth trim, single-zone climate air, smart entry and start, an electric park brake and a 7.0-inch driver information display.
GXL, priced from $36,750, adds combination leather and fabric upholstery, dual-zone climate, leather-accented shift knob and steering wheel, auto dimming rear view mirror, better LED headlights, front fog lights, roof rails and rear privacy glass.
To this Atmos, priced from $46,050, adds 18-inch alloys, panoramic sunroof and a power-operated tailgate.
There’s also leather-accented upholstery, heated seats and steering wheel, eight-way power-adjust driver seat, fully digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster, Nanoe X air filtering, illuminated entry and a wireless phone charger.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
While the 1.8-litre setup in the hatch puts out 103kW, the Cross with a larger 2.0-litre Atkinson cycle engine and an electric motor for the front axle, delivers a combined 146kW of power at 6600 revs.
Torque? Toyota never puts a figure on combined torque for its hybrids. Never really been quite sure why.
The petrol engine alone however produces 190Nm between 4400 and 5200 revs. The electric motor — another 206Nm.
A second electric motor is added to the rear axle in all-wheel drive versions, helping among other things to correct any oversteer or understeer.
Drive is through a CVT-style continuously variable style transmission.
SAFETY
Corolla Cross gets a full five stars for safety.
With eight airbags and a reversing camera, Autonomous emergency braking (Car-to-Car, Vulnerable Road User, Junction Assist and Backover), a lane support system with lane-keep assist (LKA), lane departure warning (LDW) and emergency lane keeping (ELK) and an advanced speed assistance system (SAS) are standard on all versions.
GXL and Atmos add a 360-degree camera.
Automatic Collision Notification can notify emergency services in the event of a collision triggering an airbag, who can attempt to speak with vehicle occupants to determine the seriousness of the situation.
INFOTAINMENT
Infotainment consists of an 8.0-inch touchscreen, with voice control, Bluetooth, AM/FM/DAB+ digital radio, wireless Apple CarPlay but wired Android Auto and six-speaker audio — but alas no navigation.
For that you need to fork out for one of the more expensive models.
Voice activation is enabled with the words “Hey, Toyota!“ and you can use the new multimedia system as a web browser.
There’s a 12-volt outlet in the console box and single USB-A port at the front of the centre console, while GXL and Atmos grow two extra USB-C ports in the back.
DRIVING
Having driven hundreds of Toyotas over the years breeds a certain familiarity. Getting into the Corolla Cross for the first time, it all feels, looks and even smells the same — at once familiar but different.
The cabin looks like Marie Kondo has paid a visit. The fit out is not quite spartan, but the emphasis is clearly on functionality and practicality. It’s all there – but with nothing to spare.
In fact, it reminds me of the old joke that if Toyota could find a way to charge for the air in tyres — it would do so (apologies).
There’s also a certain sameness to the way the Cross drives. The feel and sound of the hybrid powertrain is straight out of the Prius playbook.
Cross sits on the same platform as the Corolla hatch, along with the C-HR and Lexus UX, but gets a larger, more powerful hybrid in recognition of the extra size and weight that it carries — 120kg more than the petrol version.
Handling is confident for an SUV, up to the point where the higher centre of gravity starts to generate some body roll, but the average driver is unlikely to find that point.
The brakes are excellent, consistently pulling the car up quickly after repeated hard braking.
Fuel consumption from the 36-litre fuel tank is a claimed 4.3L/100km, or 4.4L/100km for the all-wheel drive — and it takes standard unleaded.
SUMMING UP
It feels a bit underdone, but we like it.
Corolla sells on price and value. The Corolla Cross ticks one of those boxes.
A top of the range hybrid hatch is $37,620. Our top of the range, two-wheel drive Atmos is $46,050 — a whopping $8430 more.
Atmos is the pick. We wouldn’t worry about all-wheel drive which doesn’t warrant the extra $3000.
The real breaker however is that you can get into a larger front-drive RAV4 Hybrid XSE for $46,375 — yes, just $325 more?
