Introducing Auto’s long-term test Toyota Corolla Cross
Its been a while, but Auto finally has a long term test unit back on fleet. Meet Goldilocks, our Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid ride for the rest of ’25. Why a Corolla Cross Hybrid, you may ask? Well a number of reasons, actually.
Toyota’s made in South Africa petrol-electric family mover has become a most compelling arrow in its local entry crossover bow. The Cross proved a smash hit when it arrived a few years back, carrying the geneses of the Corolla and RAV4 badges into a car that’s reset the local motoring landscape.
SA’s bestselling SUV and best-selling hybrid, the Cross of course sits in below the RAV4 and above the Hatch to shift the Corolla badge squarely into crossover territory. It’s bold. Morph a Corolla Hatch into a RAV4, and this handsome and quite stylish car would sit in the middle frame of that clip.
Now with a more contemporary Toyota face
Corolla Cross recently benefited a facelift to bring it more in line with contemporary Toyota design cues. Gone is that grimace mouth, replaced by this far happier face in a cooler, bolder look. This body colour matrix grille is popping up all over the global Toyota line-up. It brings a fresh new angle to this popular SUV. Especially in this golden hue.
Neither too flashy, nor too basic, auto-levelling LED daytime running headlights now better fit the bill amid those changes alongside LED tail lamps, power-retractable wing mirrors, automatic light control and Bridgestone 225/50/R18 rubber on those neat alloys.
Access the dual zone air-conditioned black leather cabin via the Smart Key System. Cross is ergonomic and spacious inside. Echoes its Corolla siblings’ elegant and ergonomic style with even better visibility out. Thanks to that extra height in the cabin.
We’ll judge how good it all is and revert
Pleasant soft-touch surfaces and double-stitched details abound. Add one-touch power windows, rear vents, four cupholders, stowage binnacles and a 12-volt power outlet. A gesture power liftgate accesses class-leading luggage capacity behind the 60/40 rear seats.
Settle behind the multifunction wheel and you’re confronted by the 8-inch TFT touchscreen. It has CarPlay and Auto mirroring, USB, and C ports. Something else we’ll get into far more detail anon. The reverse camera complements PDC and ours had 9-speaker JBL sound. It’s easy and intuitive, but suffers its ageing tech.
Now standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, smartphone connectivity is seamless. Another area we will cover in finer detail as we go. The system now also includes multi-touch control with a soft-touch interface, improved Bluetooth connectivity, and an enhanced end-user interface for a smoother experience. To go with that concerto of warning chimes and beeps.
Frugal Corolla Cross Hybrid gets on with it
The Corolla Cross Hybrid has a 70 kW 142 Nm 1.8-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine. Joined at the hip with an electric motor. Toyota’s latest more compact, more efficient latest generation Hybrid has 90 kW total system output. It harvests electric power while braking, coasting, and freewheeling and stores the energy in a small, highly effective battery.
The e-motor can drive under full battery power. It boosts petrol performance too, like a like a turbocharger. And improves economy by a third. Interestingly, we put this gold car to the test the day it arrived and it proved significantly quicker than the white test unit we had in June. We put that down to this car being run in at close to 15,000 kilometres versus the other car being brand new.
In time we’ll confirm if that makes a difference in consumption too. Speaking of which, hybrids are not compromised by antiquated power grids and interrupted electricity supply. Unlike heavy EVs, they need not wait for future local infrastructure before they will operate at their best. And this car is based on the Prius, which sold a million units in 20 years.
Corolla Cross Hybrid is easy to drive, refined
Push the Button to Start and Corolla Cross Hybrid is easy to drive. It generally pulls away silent on the electric motor before the petrol bit rumbles to life. Refined in operation, ride is comfortable. And for the most part, quiet. Best of all, this hybrid adopts none of the bulky feel and handling ills associated with excessively heavy BEVs.
Corolla Cross Hybrid’s poise really impressed. Precise and inspiring, there’s little body roll. A low centre of gravity, beefed-up McPherson front and well fettled Torsion beam rear suspension make for an engaging drive. Driver feedback could be sharper. The Cross is a tad wooden in feel and lacks connection with the driver. And it’s no rocketship.
But there’s sufficient power, with that ever present electric bonus. It makes overtaking faster, easier, and dare we say, safer, too. Fuel economy is excellent. Toyota reckons Corolla Cross will sip an average of 4.3l/100 km on a good day. In the real world, we maintained a quite satisfactory 5.8 l/100 last time. That said, this one has run in properly and it seems to prefer city driving. So let’s see what that brings.
New challenges for Corolla Cross?
Like most CVT hybrids, it sounds a bit like a vacuum cleaner, but it’s well safety stacked with everything from stability control to ABS EBD brakes. Add Hill Assist, all the airbags, ISOFIX, anti-theft and auto locking. Toyota Safety Sense includes Cruise Control, Blind Spot, Lane Trace, Rear Cross-Traffic and Pre-Collision systems.
There are however a few other reasons why we asked for a Corolla Cross Hybrid as a long term test. Not least to live the hybrid life a little. But more importantly, to gauge how this best seller is standing up against that Chinese invasion. So all pretty topical, we’d say.
There was good reason why the Corolla Cross Hybrid has always flown off the shelf. Starting at R494K, for the XS, this XR costs R545K and you can get the GR Sport Hybrid for R561K too. Until recently, that was impossible to beat. But the market is changing fast and there are some most interesting new rivals out there that we will also address as we go.
For now, allow us a little time with this South African-built, economical and practical family crossover that’s easy to drive and live with, and handles superbly. The Corolla Cross Hybrid’s biggest plus was once price. But that goalpost has moved. Leaving this car’s several other strengths to carry its head high. So watch this space as we try to figure that all out! – Michele Lupini
Images & Testing: Giordano Lupini
LONG-TERM INTRO: Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 HEV XR
Engine: 70 kW 142 Nm 1.8-litre Atkinson petrol
Hybrid: Electric Motor. Total output: 90 kW
Drive: CVT FWD
Odo on Arrival: 13,250 km
Odo Now: 13,657 km
TESTED:
0-60 km/h: 4.34 sec
0-100 km/h: 10.12 sec
0-120 km/h 13.31 sec
400m: 17.1 sec @ 131 km/h
80-120 km/h: 7.42 sec
CLAIMED:
VMax: 170 km/h
Fuel Average: 4.3 l/100 km
CO2: 98 g/km
Warranty/Service: 3y 100K/6 service 90K km
LIST PRICE: R545K
How does it compare?
Find out with Auto's Test Data right here