Toyota’s new compact family car will go on sale in November 2021 – and the brand’s certainly making a big fuss about it! We visited the Gerotek vehicle-testing facility to drive the locally-produced Corolla Cross, which will slot into the Japanese brand’s crossover line-up between the Urban Cruiser and the RAV4…
What is a Corolla Cross?
The Corolla Cross looks bigger in the metal, much closer to RAV4 size than expected.
Another week, another new crossover – and another newcomer that’s looking to wolf down as much of the SUV pie as possible. The Corolla Cross is Toyota’s latest effort and essentially fills the gap between Urban Cruiser and RAV4, although it might ultimately cannibalise some of those models’ sales; it’s less compromised than the former (in terms of packaging/practicality) and significantly more affordable than the latter. It’s also built locally, including hybrid derivatives, making it quite an affordable option if you’re in the market for something bigger than an Urban Cruiser but smaller than a RAV4.
Read our launch review drive of the Corolla Cross from November 2021 here
As mentioned before, it has a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, but most derivatives are powered by a conventional 1.8-litre petrol engine and there are 3 trim levels: Xi, XS and XR.
Check out our specs and pricing article here.
Corolla Cross drive
We tested the cars at altitude which hampers performance but they still felt adequate.
A pre-launch drive doesn’t entail doing a lot of mileage – in fact, we were restricted to driving on the Mountain Pass loop of the Gerotek vehicle testing facility. I must have completed hundreds of laps on that particular course over the years (while testing category finalists for the annual Cars.co.za Consumer Awards), so I know how different types of cars tend to handle over its concreted, lumpy surface.
The Corolla Cross is based on the TNGA platform, which also underpins the C-HR, Prius and new Corolla (I say new, it’s about 15 months old now). The platform is renowned for facilitating a comfortable and composed ride quality and particularly good NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) suppression, in other words – a quiet cabin ambience. The South African-built Corolla Cross retains all those familiar TNGA qualities; the newcomer’s only really challenged by some of the hard-hitting drops and sharp crests… and those are elements you’re unlikely to encounter on the daily commute.
The steering feels a little light, but the Toyota SUV/Crossover changes direction relatively well with an acceptable amount of body roll.
I suspect that in its role as an everyday runabout and family vehicle, the Corolla Cross will suit its target market (buyers who aren’t particularly fussed about handling or communicative steering) rather well.
Are the engines up to scratch?
It will be interesting to see if buyers opt for the hybrid model over the standard petrol model.
Gerotek is located about 1 400 metres above sea level so altitude plays a factor in the performance delivery of the engines (it reduces the effectiveness of non-turbo engines by around 14%). I had a chance to drive both 1.8-litre petrol and the 1.8-litre petrol-electric hybrid versions of the model. Are the naturally-aspirated motors up to the task of propelling the Corolla Cross’ body with reasonable vigour?
Yes, indeed. The petrol engine produces 103 kW/173 Nm and works in conjunction with a 7-step continuously variable automatic transmission. The 1.8-litre scaled Gerotek’s steeper inclines of the mountain track without difficulty and held 120 kph with ease (on flatter sections), but the non-hybrid derivative may struggle to duplicate that level of performance when fully loaded with passengers and luggage.
The petrol-electric hybrid (with a similar powertrain to the Prius and Corolla Hybrid) felt appreciably more willing to accelerate once up to speed. Its power unit (a combination of a 1.8-litre petrol engine and an electric motor) produces an aggregate of 90 kW and appears to have better mid-range torque (there’s no combined figure, but the petrol motor produces 142 Nm and the electric motor 163 Nm).
What’s more, both versions should prove to be quite fuel-efficient… Toyota claims average consumption figures of 6.8 L/100 km for the 1.8 derivatives and 4.3 L/100 km for the hybrids (all of which have continuously variable automatic transmissions). When the Corolla Cross official launch takes place in a few weeks’ time, we’ll get a better idea of what it’s like under load and in normal traffic conditions.
What’s the Corolla Cross like inside?
The interior is a copy from the new Corolla and at R400k is quite a luxurious offering.
If you’ve seen the new Corolla sedan’s interior then the Corolla Cross’ cabin is a replica of that. I prodded around the cabin fairly vigorously (in an attempt to find evidence of loose panelling or iffy build quality), but the fit-and-finish seemed solid. There is a satisfactory mix of leather and plastic surfaces, which all feel substantial. At this price point, the Toyota appears quite fancy inside, luxurious even.
The load bay looks capacious and the retractable luggage cover is much easier to live with than a cumbersome shelf that ends up sitting in your garage every time you want to load large items into the car.
There’s a USB port in the front, and on the XR derivatives, 2 in the rear – as well as air vents for the aft passengers. The infotainment screen in the XS and XR versions are compatible with Apple Carplay and Android Auto. I also noticed a wireless charging pad in two of the cars, but apparently that feature will be sold as an optional extra. Toyota says it intends to offer a few more options than usual for the Corolla Cross, which we’ll find out about at the formal media launch; the newcomer could include features such as a head-up display and various (optional) exterior accoutrements.
The XR derivatives (which start at R425k) will feature the impressive Toyota’s Safety Sense package, which includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane trace assist and a pre-collision system.
Final thoughts
The Corolla Cross is likely to be a big hit for Toyota SA.
I think this Corolla Cross is going to be a hit for Toyota. It sits in a segment that is growing rapidly in South Africa and it’s bound to snaffle sales from models that are positioned directly above and below it. With the right interior specification and a price-point that appears to offer good value for money (when family cars’ asking prices seem to be sky-rocketing north of R500k), it seems like a winner to me.
The newcomer’s powertrains might not be quite as lively as those of some of its competitors, but the Corolla Cross might actually turn people on to hybrid models (at R413k, the 1.8 Hybrid XShybrid is the nation’s most affordable petrol-electric new car), which could well be a step in the right direction as the inevitable electric car wave heads our way.
