Reports have suggested that Indus Motors Pakistan, the official dealership of Toyota in Pakistan is all set to launch Toyota Corolla Cross, which is a state-of-the-art SUV, in Pakistan.
Earlier Pakwheels also reported this news! Because of lack of domestic facilities, it will be imported as Completely Built-up Unit (CBU) in Pakistan.
The car is reportedly being brought from Thailand where it was launched earlier.
The Pakistani auto market, dominated by Toyota, Honda and Suzuki primarily, has in the past few months seen the arrival of multiple automakers like KIA and Hyundai. These two companies, with the launch of KIA Sportage and Hyundai Tucson, have challenged the long-existing monoply of the ‘3 greats’.
Now, inevitably, we hear that Toyota Indus Motors is all set to launch SUV crossover Corolla Cross in Pakistan very soon.
In a recent briefing, Indus confirmed that they will be bringing the Corolla Cross in the local market but in the shape of a Completely built unit (CBU) imported from Thailand.
Toyota Corolla Cross is about to hit the roads! Toyota has been opening up new avenues with its shift from Sedans to hatchbacks and SUVs lately. The Japan-based automotive manufacturer has remained popular around the world with its record number of sales of the Toyota Corolla introduced back in 1966 as a Subcompact/ Compact car.
Corolla became the best selling car in 1974, just 8 years after the launch. Toyota has sold over 48 million Corollas since its launch, making it the auto giant’s best-selling model ever. Since its introduction, the Toyota Corolla has seen many changes and upgradations with each passing model.
Toyota Motor Corporation, just months after revealing the Yaris Cross is back again with a bang with the recently unveiled all-new Toyota Corolla Cross.
Who would’ve thought that Corolla will ever meet SUV? However, this was expected given that the Yaris Cross was recently launched. Toyota premiered its new Corolla Cross in Thailand, and says that the vehicle “enables customers to select the model that better suits their diverse lifestyles and life stages.” In this new lineup, Toyota has mixed together a Corolla and a crossover.
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Engine and dimensions
The all-new 2021 Toyota Corolla Cross dimensions are as follows: 4,460 mm length, 1,825 mm width, and 1,620 mm height. This state-of-the-art vehicle by Toyota measures 2,640 mm, which is identical to the C-HR crossover. Precisely, to get an idea, this Corolla SUV by Toyota will be slightly smaller than a RAV4 and just a bit larger than a CH-R which is a decent size for a mid-sized family
If we look at the engine, in Thailand, Toyota is offering a 1.8-litre 2ZR-FBE petrol engine in the Corolla Cross which is suitable for 140hp and 175Nm of torque mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
For fans of economy drive, Toyota has some good news. In this lineup, Toyota will be offering a hybrid version with 600-volt electric motor supplementing with an additional 72 hp and 163 Nm of torque. The hybrid model uses the same 1.8-litre petrol engine as the standard version but in a different state of tuning- it will have a total of 122hp, identical to the regular Corolla hybrid.
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Exterior
The Toyota Corolla Cross 2021 is shaped pretty similar to the RAV4 with an upright appearance. If we look at the front end we’ll find seemingly angry headlights and a large, black-framed grille. At the rear, the Corolla Cross has thin taillights and a bumper covered in black cladding and a faux skid plate.
Corolla is carrying on its legacy of raised ground clearance that made for an unstable drive in the past, but this time Toyota boasts that it has a smooth ride and good ingress and egress.
The only drawback here is that Toyota isn’t offering an all-wheel-drive (AWD) with this SUV styled lineup of Corolla – front-wheel-drive is the only option here.
For now, the Corolla Cross can be purchased in Thailand, but auto-enthusiasts from around the world should cherish this launch because very soon Toyota might launch it in other markets too.
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Interior
On the inside, the all-new Toyota Corolla Cross dashboard looks very similar to the regular Corolla models. The center console is more upright which gives it a classier look. Some of the main features of this Toyota Corolla SUV include:
- 9-inch touchscreen
- Apple CarPlay
- Power front seats
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Power liftgate
- 360-degree camera system
- Toyota’s full Safety Sense suite of driver-assist features.
Coming towards cargo/ luggage capacity, the 2021 Toyota Corolla Cross appears to have more cargo room than the C-HR, and certainly more space for rear-seat passengers as well.
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According to preliminary information, Toyota says the Corolla Cross will go on sale in Thailand first with other markets to follow. Its launch in the American market is quite inevitable provided that it would fill the gap between the C-HR and RAV4 in the Toyota crossover lineup. C-HR and RAV4 are currently facing tough competition from the likes of Hyundai Kona, Kia Seltos and Mazda CX-30.
Price
Toyota Corolla Cross, the SUV model of the most popular vehicle by the Japanese auto manufacturer comes with an entry-level price tag of 31,587 USD/ 24,974 Pounds for non-hybrid version.
Other trim levels in the hybrid category are Hybrid Smart priced at 25,743 Pounds/ 32,555 USD. Hybrid Premium priced at 34,792 USD/ 27,498 Pounds and Hybrid Premium Safety costing 35,750 USD.
In Pakistan, after import duties, the price will most likely be around 8.5 million PKR.