We all know the ongoing market trend of people preferring crossover SUVs over traditional sedans, and Toyota noticed it too. The Japanese auto manufacturer decided to launch its most famous car globally, ‘Toyota Corolla’, in the crossover section, with the launch of Toyota Corolla Cross around the world in 2020, and is now about to hit the US market.
It is worth mentioning that the car is available in Pakistan already, and GVS has already covered its launch months ago. In Pakistan, the vehicle has a 1798cc hybrid engine capable of producing 168 hp and 305 Nm torque mated with Direct Shift CVT transmission, with a 1798cc 2ZR-FXE hybrid engine, ECVT transmission. The power of the SUV in Pakistan is 163 hp at 5200 rpm, with a torque of 305 Nm at 3600 rpm.
In Pakistan, it is priced at around Rs8 million.
This blog from now on is about the launch of the Toyota Corolla Cross 2022 in the US market.
The car blogs have called it the company’s attempt to appeal to the masses, cashing into Corolla’s reliability, practicality, and efficiency. It will be an extension to the already existing mini-SUV section like HRV and C-HR but is bigger than those, but smaller than the RAV4.
Overall, according to the initial reviews available online, it is a Corolla sedan or a hatchback model on the inside, with some of the added SUV-related features. However, it has more Cargo space on the inside and is higher on the outside.
So, let us look at what the SUV will offer.
The three Trims
To be launched in 2022, the SUV will come in three trims. For now, a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with 169 horsepower (126 kilowatts) and 150 pound-feet (203 newton-meters) is the only option, sending power to the front wheels as standard or to both axles at an additional cost of $1,300.
Above the base L trim level, the Corolla Cross LE starts at $24,545 in FWD configuration, and the range-topping XLE kicks off at $26,325. The most expensive 2022 Corolla Cross money can buy, before options, is the XLE AWD model at $27,625.
A Hybrid version is also in the works, but there is no information on when it will be launched though.
It is worth mentioning that the car sits on the same platform as the much-bought Corolla. Auto blog Car and Driver said that it recommends top-spec trim, XLE, as it has the specs most people are looking for in an SUV.
Exterior
Car Connection, a renowned auto blog wrote that the new SUV gets its shape from a mix of the Corolla sedan and the RAV4 crossover SUV. It said that the crossover is a sharp, squat-looking crossover with smartly angled pillars and wheel wells.
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Its pug-dog face and a few interesting creases in the body sides attempt to liven up the Cross’s design, but overall, it has an anonymous-SUV appearance.
On the front is an upturned “mailbox” grille, more pronounced and curved fenders, and slimmer LED lighting; they don’t cut quite the rakish appearance of the RAV4 but they’re far from the car’s economy-car roots.
Transmission, and Performance
Almost all blogs unanimously agree that the car’s powertrain isn’t very thrilling, just like most of the gas-powers crossovers in similar sectors. Everyone found that the acceleration was lazy, and like Corolla, it sounded buzzy.
According to YouTube channel Redline Reviews, it took the lowest trim Toyota Corolla Cross more than 10 seconds to do 0-100 Km/hours. He said that the handling as well, and there was less to no feedback from the steering wheel.
However, if the hybrid powertrain option is made available, everyone is hoping for a more powerful option.
Interior and infotainment
On the inside, the car is very familiar to the Corolla sedan. The dashboard layout, interior materials, and convenience features are nearly identical to the sedan.
However, the major difference is in cargo space due to larger dimensions. However, Redline Reviews host noted that at 5’7” he didn’t have much leg space while sitting in the back. According to the blogs, while the lower trims are basic, the XLE model comes with nice-looking faux-leather upholstery, heated front seats, a leather-wrapped shift knob, and a flip-down center armrest for rear-seat passengers.
On the infotainment side, the Toyota Cross’s dashboard sprouts a square infotainment display with 7.0 and8.0-inch displays, using the similar infotainment interface used in the current versions of Toyotas. Other not-so-modern infotainment features include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio will all be standard, but wireless smartphone charging, rear-seat USB charging ports, and a JBL stereo system are optional extras.
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Safety
Toyota will continue its current trend of standardizing driver-assistance features by offering a suite of systems on all trims that include adaptive cruise control, automated emergency braking, and lane-departure warning, other than the standard safety features.