Great! We have expected a lot from Toyota this year. There's the new improved Rush, Gazoo Racing Yaris, and now... this! We have been promised many surprises for the upcoming updates but nothing has yet to beat this surprise!

A crossover between Toyota's best selling sedan, Corolla with SUV functions. Wow! Who knew Toyota was this crazy, huh?

The man who supervised this project, Daizo Kameyama said the concept for this project is "Corolla meets SUV" (I know, it’s where the title came from) where they take bold steps in making the Corolla brand to new heights… now, competing in the SUV market segment.

EXTERIOR

If we know Toyota, as we’re sure you do, Toyota likes to play it safe in the design department sometimes. Not this time, though. The Corolla Cross, like its siblings in the sedan series, has futuristic bold features integrated in its chassis and body. 

Notice how the curves meet towards an imaginary point in the front. It makes the Corolla Cross bulky and powerful in the looks department. Although that may be the case, the Corolla Cross is no joke in terms of performance which you’ll find out as we move along in this article.

FRONT DESIGN

Looking at it from this angle, it kind of reminds me of the Ford Explorer. Not that they look alike (they’re nowhere near each other) but because of the bulky front that makes you want to imagine there’s a really, really… really powerful engine underneath that hood.

Also, those headlights are real bangers of the show! During night-time, those bad boys pop out like in some cinematic scenes from action movies. True to their word, Toyota did stop producing “boring” cars - a common stereotype of reliability.

Aside from what’s already mentioned above, the grills, fog lamps, repeaters, facelift, side mirrors, and the streamlined chassis all come together to make this gorgeous or should I say “gwapo” feels all Filipinos and Non-Filipinos came to love when it comes to Sports Utility Vehicles.

HEADLIGHTS

DIMENSIONS

The bigger and spacious body of the Toyota Corolla Cross which is making it a new favorite big boys’ toy in town surely makes it competitive in the market segment. Unlike its sedan sibling, the all-new Toyota Corolla Cross makes enough room for 5 adults without being crammed inside like a pack of sardines in a can. The Corolla Cross has overall dimensions of 4460 mm in length, 1826 mm in width, and 1646 mm in height. The wheelbase is 2640 mm with a ground clearance of 206 mm.

ALLOY WHEELS

Remember the feeling you get whenever you see something you really like? Goosebumps and a whole lot of shivers crawling down your spine. Yeah, that’s what some of us felt when we found out that the Corolla Cross came with a monotone 18 inch alloy fitted with a 225/50R tire. As the Filipino auto geeks say… “Ang pooogiiii.”

Put it into perspective and it’s not really all that exciting. However, once you find out these alloys are flow-formed in the foundry department, you’ll soon realize how strong and safe these guys are. 

REAR DESIGN

INTERIOR

CENTRAL CONSOLE

The Corolla Cross brings in futuristic features in its central console. The dashboard fits the taste of the majority in the market, the business savvy black body with silver accents that make the central console pop out and come to life.

The whole package comes in with a 7-inch Multi Information Display that comes with the standard Apple Carplay and Android Auto to fit your mobile devices. Aside from that, Toyota added a plugless charging platform where you can put your compatible phone to charge while on the go.

WIth the 7-inch Multi Information Display, you can see key features for entertainment, navigation, and safety. It definitely makes the job easy and the journey worthwhile!

The control system also enables you to take advantage of bluetooth connection, AM/FM radio, auxiliaries, DVD, and 12-volt USB ports at the back to plug your phone. Some add-ons available in the market is the GPS tracker for the latest versions of all Toyota vehicles that came with a navigation system installed. 

5-SEATER CONFIGURATION

Like its sedan counterpart, it comes with the standard 5-seater configuration. At the back, there’s enough room for 2 and a half passengers, increased head and knee room, 60/40-split folding rear seats for trunk space, and a center armrest with 2 cup holders. The 2022 update also comes with leather upholstery to boot! Now, that’s classy!

FRONT INSTRUMENT PANEL

Looking at the Toyota Corolla Cross’ combination meter, you’ll see a whole new display where it tells you what is happening with the hybrid system. It is a “jam packed” feature complete with display menus of important information such as the tachometer, speedometer, fuel capacity, mileage, and lets you know whether you’re consuming fuel or electricity arranged in an attractive style with blue lights to highlight information.

On the flip side, Toyota installed a Premium 9-speaker JBL Sound System that is sure to blow the minds of its passengers. Wanna party and drive? Turn the bass on, baby!

KEY FEATURES

DESIGNED FOR SAFETY

The all-new Toyota Corolla Cross isn’t all about looks and hype, though because it wouldn’t be Toyota if not for its reliability too. The Corolla Cross uses the new improved STAR safety system along with Toyota Safety Sense. If you’re wondering what the STAR safety system is, it's a suite of six safety systems designed to help when you are in harm's way, and it comes standard in every new Toyota. The system specifics typically consist of Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA) and Smart Stop Technology (SST).

Let’s get to know each of the six safety features Toyota meticulously developed and installed in all the new models of their company.

Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) - to prevent wheel-slip and traction loss, it reduces engine power and applies brake force to independent wheels that need it. The system interprets data from the driving and brake system sensors to determine whether the vehicle is following the driver's steering inputs or not. In the instance that the vehicle is deviating from the direction the driver is steering to, the VSC comes in to reduce engine power and slowly but surely pulse the left or right side brakes to correct the vehicle’s direction.

Traction Control (TRAC) - after interpreting data from the ABS sensors, TRAC can tell if a drive wheel is turning faster than the wheel on the opposite side, which can indicate a traction loss. When it detects slippage, the system will automatically reduce engine power until the wheel that is slipping slows down and regains traction again. If reducing engine power doesn't cut the chase, the EBD system will slow that wheel by pulsing the brake of that wheel.

Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) - ABS uses magnetic wheel-speed sensors and a computer to monitor all four wheels while a vehicle is in motion. When the brakes are applied, and there’s an imbalance in the synchronization of the decelerating wheel (or wheels), the system will recognize that it's losing traction or it has locked up. As a response, the system rapidly pulses the brake at that wheel until it begins to roll in sync with the others. On the other hand, it also maintains brake pressure on the wheels with tighter grip to help prevent wheels from skidding.

Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) - it is a feature of the Anti-lock Brake System, which helps make up for shifting weight under hard braking. It drastically reduces brake pressure on wheels carrying the least amount of weight, getting your vehicle to stay in control.

Brake Assist (BA) - designed to detect sudden braking, and assist the driver in stopping the vehicle, adding additional brake pressure if Brake Assist senses that there isn’t enough brake force applied by the driver.

Smart Stop Technology (SST) - designed to automatically trigger engine power reduction when it detects both the brake and accelerator pedals are pressed at the same time under certain conditions.

DESIGNED FOR COMFORT

Unlike its sedan counterpart, the Toyota Corolla Cross is designed for comfort. With its spacious interior that fits 5 people, no sweat, the Toyota Corolla Cross also offers numerous features to add to its overall feel such as air conditioning vents installed in strategic points of the vehicle to maximize cooling effects, a 12V outlet installed at the back for rear passengers’s phones, softex-trimmed seats, 10-way adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support, power moonroof, and heated front seats to make you cozy if you ever get chilly.

DESIGNED FOR ENTERTAINMENT

Last but not the least, Toyota Corolla Cross comes with a full-package of entertainment system consists of Premium 9-speaker JBL Sound system installed strategically all over the interior of the car, apple carplay and android auto, FM radio, bluetooth connection, and power moonroof remotely controlled via touch screen.

POWERTRAIN

ENGINE

While all the features and benefits mentioned previously are great, let’s not forget that, although this is a crossover, this is still a Corolla. Known for its powerful platform, the Corolla Cross is equipped with a 1.8L 16-Valve DOHC, 4-Cylinder, In-line, Chain drive with VVT-i. It doesn’t really have different gears to shift from and to because it only uses a launch gear to start the continuous variable transmission. Since it’s a hybrid, it also uses electric motors to drive the wheels. Once the engine powers the vehicle, there’s a generator installed at the wheels to charge the batteries of this hybrid masterpiece.

TRANSMISSION

Unlike the common automatic and manual transmissions, Toyota Corolla Cross uses Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) in its drivetrain. One of the advantages of having a CVT versus the traditional automatic or manual transmission is its ability to continuously change its gear ratio which results in it always being at peak efficiency. Oftentimes CVT’s offer better fuel economy than any other traditional transmission.

DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS

The Corolla Cross uses a 1.8L 16-Valve DOHC, 4-Cylinder, In-line, Chain drive with VVT-i hybrid engine that produces 120-hp 142 Newton-meter of torque. Since the Corolla Cross is heavier than the Corolla Altis, the power-to-weight ratio suffers a little bit. As a result, you’ll need to reach 3,600 to 5,200 RPM before you feel the power of its full potential.

FUEL CONSUMPTION

In terms of fuel economy, the hybrid CVT Corolla Cross is at peak efficiency. During a busy afternoon in EDSA where traffic is known to be really frustrating at times, you’ll notice that it consumes about 16.1 kilometers per liter while on the highway it reaches about 23.5 kilometers per liter. But here’s the odd part, in EDSA on a good day with less traffic than usual, it goes up to 22 kilometers per liter! Like… HOW?!

CONCLUSION

If you want to go for a reliable, confident in performance, and money saving vehicle then go for the Toyota Corolla Cross. It has the performance of its sedan brother, Corolla Altis and the function, space, and looks of an SUV. It’s definitely for the young at heart who wants to go far and beyond to see new places in their lives.

Also read: 2021 Toyota Corolla Cross’ TSS 2.0 detailed; better choice than the HR-V?