Many fleet and rental customers have been disappointed by the current Toyota Corolla, particularly the hatchback’s cargo capacity of the hatch.
Toyota has answered their criticism with the Corolla Cross SUV.
During the media launch of the Corolla Cross, Toyota New Zealand’s vehicle, logistics and franchise development
general manager Steve Prangnell said he believes it will quickly become the top-selling Corolla model.
It’s not the first time Toyota has produced a higher-riding Corolla-based crossover with the option of all-wheel drive (AWD).
Between 1982 and 2000 it sold the Corolla Sprinter Carib which was produced as a lifestyle-focused vehicle in various generations.
Thanks to the global pandemic the Corolla Cross lands in New Zealand more than two years after launch in Thailand and more than a year after launch in Japan.
The Corolla Cross’ raised ride height, ample boot space, 750kg tow capacity and front-wheel drive (FWD) hybrid powertrain in the choice of GX, GXL and Limited grades will attract the fleet buyer. The AWD variant is available exclusively in Limited specification.
The Numbers
Toyota Driveaway pricing (TDP) is $41,990 for the GX, $44,990 for the GXL, $48,990 for the Limited and $51,990 for the Limited AWD. TDP includes WoF, registration, a full tank of fuel, the Toyota Care Service Advantage fixed price servicing package, floor mats, and a three-year or 100,000km warranty.
All Corolla Crosses are eligible for Clean Car Rebate ranging between $3108.97 and $2851.21.
The 2.0-litre petrol hybrid electric engine with E-CVT transmission, produces 135kW total system output which is higher than the Corolla Hatch and Wagon.
The Limited AWD features Toyota’s E-Four all-wheel drive system, adding a second motor on the rear axle for increased capability.
Fuel consumption quoted for the FWD models is 4.8 litres/100km and 4.9L/100km for the Limited AWD. The CO2 emissions are quoted at 107 grams/km for the FWDs and 112gm/km for the AWD Limited.
Inside and out
The entry level GX has fabric interior trim, an eight-inch colour touchscreen display, single-zone climate control, and a six-speaker sound system.
The GXL grade provides a 10.5-inch touchscreen display, satellite navigation, softer-touch interior, dual-zone climate control, and combination fabric and synthetic leather upholstery.
It also gets LED foglights, sequential front indicators, and premium rear combination lights. Both the GX and GXL grades have a seven-inch colour multi-information display.
All Corolla Crosses have wireless Apple Carplay, and Apple Carplay and Android Auto via USB as standard.
The Limited offers adds leather accented seating, front seat heaters and steering wheel heater, a JBL sound system, Qi wireless charging, a 12.3-inch full digital meter, and a panoramic roof.
It runs on larger wheels – 18-inch dark grey and machined alloys, compared to 17-inch silver alloys on the GX and GXL.
Body colour choices are: Glacier White (GX only), Tensile Silver, Eclipse, Ruby, and Blue Crush. The GXL and Limited will be available in Frosted White, Cement Grey, and Safari Green as well.
Safety
The new model is built on the TNGA – C platform, alongside the other Corolla models. MacPherson struts are used for the front suspension on all models while at the rear the front wheel drives feature a newly developed Torsion beam rear suspension.
The AWD Limited’s rear suspension is a trailing arm double wishbone set-up that allows the right- and left-rear wheels to move independently and provides advantages in handling stability and ride comfort.
All models have the latest iteration of the Toyota Safety Sense suite, which includes Pre-Collision Safety system with AEB for vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, and motorcycles.
It has Intersection Turn Assist and Emergency Steering Assist. The package also includes Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
The GXL adds a Parking Support Brake with four front and four rear parking sensors, and for the Limited, the Toyota Teammate (Advanced Park) provides automatic parking.
A Panoramic View Monitor system is also part of the GXL specification and the Limited adds an underfloor view to the system.
The Drive
FleetTalk spent more than a week with a Corolla Cross FWD Limited which offers a generous specification, particularly its very smart camera system which gives additional confidence when parking in tight spaces.
We weren’t quite so fussed with the Toyota Teammate advanced automatic parking system which seemed a bit slow to react and a bit clunky in operation, but this was a minor critique in what was otherwise a very good package.
Another quibble is the necessity of a panoramic glass roof in the Limited which doesn’t open, but thankfully has a full-sized internal blind to protect the interior on a sunny day.
Toyota make very competent fleet- and family-friendly cars and the Corolla Cross is no exception. It’s simple and easy to use, an intuitive touchscreen, a perky powertrain, confident handling, and more than enough room for four to five people and their weekend luggage. You can’t say the same about the Corolla hatch.
If you’ve driven any of the other Toyota Hybrid models, you’ll feel right at home in the Corolla Cross, it behaves in exactly the same manner as is petrol-electric siblings.
Our View
Although later to market than ideal, the Corolla Cross is an important car for Toyota in New Zealand, offering fleets another option which fits comfortably between its smaller C-HR and larger RAV4.
It’s a gap in the market which Toyota created inadvertently as successive generations of the RAV4 grew from a compact SUV in 1995 to a large one in 2022.
Once upon a time the 2.0-litre four-cylinder wagon was the foundation of the New Zealand company car fleet, beloved of sales reps and territory managers. Now thanks to Toyota and its hybrid technology we’re crossing back to the future in exactly that.
