THE COMBINATION OF the popular Corolla badge with the on-trend small SUV form factor should, in theory, make the Toyota Corolla Cross nothing but a runaway success.
But you’d be right in thinking Toyota already sells a car that nails this brief: the C-HR. The Japanese-built Corolla Cross even shares its TNGA-C platform and 2640mm wheelbase with that Euro-centric small SUV. For now, Toyota says, both will co-exist in harmony.
And if we’re honest, the Corolla Cross’s looks aren’t particularly exciting, so its conservative design at least leaves a style-forward slice of the market open for the C-HR to live on.
What matters is that the Corolla Cross addresses the practicality concerns of the hatch and C-HR – combining a boot big enough for more than a Shih Tzu and back seats that aren’t just for kids – with the Corolla nameplate’s signature low fuel consumption and fun driving dynamics.
The Corolla Cross range opens with the GX, priced from $33,000 for the petrol and $35,500 for the hybrid, and tops out at $49,050 for the Atmos AWD hybrid (all before on-road costs).
Toyota expects between 45-50 percent of sales to come from the base GX trim, followed by Atmos (30
