Without you knowing anything about it beforehand, Toyota is betting that you'll give the latest addition to its ever-expanding crossover/SUV lineup special attention for one simple, yet strong reason: It carries the name of its best-selling model. There is nothing ambiguous about the Corolla Cross - at least not in what it sets out to achieve.
Positioned as a new member of the Corolla series, even press materials for the car have explicitly acknowledged the fact that it was birthed "to suit the growing demand for SUVs". In some of them, the car is pictured alongside the sedan, hatchback and wagon.
As we've seen from many other carmakers, however, a name only hints at the (sometimes misleading) narrative a brand wants to build around a car. Thankfully, the one woven around the Corolla Cross is a thoroughly honest tale.
Putting the 'soft' in 'soft-roader'
Plastic cladded wheel arches, roof rails, 18-inch alloys, and of course, that blacked-out double trapezoid grille certainly give the Corolla Cross presence on the road. Worth noting is that this front fascia is quite different from those on Japanese-market parallel imported variants.
Still, there's something about its general preference for curves over angles - such as on the RAV4 - that gives it an air of 'soft' rather than intense aggression. The Corolla Cross may not bear direct resemblance to any of its spiritual predecessors - not even with the Corolla Touring - but what it does share with them are its general approachability in design - and its size.
From tip to tip, the Corolla Cross is 280mm longer than the subcompact Yaris Cross, and 140mm shorter than the mid-sized RAV4.
Built on the same GA-C platform as the other Corollas, it sits right smack in the middle of Toyota's SUV lineup as advertised. It thus promises better utility over the former, and more manoeuvrability over the latter (more on both later).
It is on the inside, however, where you might pinch yourself for thinking you've gotten into a Corolla Altis.
Fine - the raised seating position, extra headroom, and other little bits such as dedicated buttons for extra safety features indicate that this is a different car.
Otherwise, this is the Altis' dashboard - 'copy-and-paste'. That brings with it many of the same strengths (solid build quality and a function-led design), but also the same singular weakness (a dearth of colour and liveliness).
Still, peer closer and the Corolla Cross starts to distinguish itself as a more modern Toyota product.
Credit is due mostly to the new 12.3-inch digital driver's display. Crisp, highly customisable, but not over-the-top, it's a delightful suggestion that Toyota's engineering/design departments were encouraged to have some fun when designing the car.
The Corolla Cross additionally gets the full spread of Toyota's safety systems with the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 on board - whose execution in the real world we continue to be fans of.
Reaping the benefits of the modern 'family car' template
As a car squarely targeted at families, the Corolla Cross excels on most fronts. Those who ferry older folk around regularly will appreciate the fact that the car's higher hip point and tall roof make getting in and out of both the front and rear very easy.
Once settled in, even taller passengers should be able to stretch out with a good amount of head and legroom throughout. Second-row passengers are also treated to a relatively flat floor, and Toyota's historically powerful air-conditioning via the rear aircon vents.
At 425 litres, the Corolla Cross' boot loses out numerically to the Altis' 470 litres. Still, its wide aperture and the car's tall roofline allow it to easily handle whatever a family can muster within a week of school/grocery runs.
Besides, that two-box body style is advantageous, as it more than doubles carrying capacity (to an estimated 1,200 litres) with a generous, uninterrupted space once the 60:40 second row is folded.
Having said that, the use of space within the car's boot isn't as neatly executed as in some European contemporaries; there are no tethering points, and the lack of a raisable floor means the surface isn't entirely flat when the rear seats have been knocked down. It does redeem itself, though, with a handy powered tailgate.
Easy-going eco-commuter
The units sold by authorised dealer Borneo Motors also differentiate themselves in another more significant way - they pair an electric motor with a 2.0-litre engine, rather than a 1.8-litre naturally aspirated engine. Combined output thus stands at an impressive 196bhp.
As with many other models from the brand, don't climb into the driver's seat with the expectation that the Corolla Cross is raring to go. Still, while the drone kicked up by its eCVT creates an impression that is at odds with its claimed 7.7 second century sprint timing, the Corolla Cross actually offers above-average performance for a family-oriented car.
Watch the digital dash, for the numbers do rise more rapidly than you might expect on the speedometer. Overtaking on the expressway is likewise not a struggle as long as you can bear with the more vocal nature of its transmission. One particular element of the drive that stood out surprisingly were the car's well-modulated brakes, which offer a pleasant amount of bite.
As for city-driving and start-stop traffic environments, Toyota's hybrid drivetrain remains the best in the business, and the smooth and silent initial take-off aided by the Corolla Cross' small electric motor makes moving (unhurriedly) from traffic light to traffic light fuss-free.
Best of all is the excellent fuel efficiency that it enables. Achieving the stated 18.8km/L consumption figure is fully realistic, even in city driving. If a driver's routes are more highway-heavy, they'll easily surpass the 20km/L mark.
All this is coupled with the car's well-damped yet composed suspension, and consistently quiet cabin. While the Corolla Cross doesn't offer the level of ride comfort of the brand's flagships, it still handles uneven road surfaces like a seasoned pro. Its light steering and small turning radius (of only 5.2m!) also make it feel - rightfully - like a compact car.
Not just crossing another name off the list
Without first properly getting acquainted with the Corolla Cross, one might see it as coming dangerously close to getting lost in Toyota's lineup of crossovers/SUVs. After all, does yet another higher-riding hatch add value to a world where the Yaris Cross, RAV4 and Harrier already exist?
In the same way that the Corolla Altis slots itself neatly in between the Camry and Vios, the well-equipped Corolla Cross (electrically adjustable seats; wireless charging) also effortlessly nestles itself into middle ground - now with nearly the latest and coolest that Toyota has to offer (we say 'nearly' because the last two cars we experienced from the brand were the newer Sienta Hybrid and bZ4X).
It does all this, too, while offering the function-forward, anti-avantgarde, and 'built-to-last' ethos embodied best by Toyotas.
Japan's largest may have taken the conservative path of associating this amicable softroader with the recognisable Corolla series - perhaps, even, to carry the widened nameplate across the line (as it did with the Crown) so its place is staked firmly in the future. But treat it as a brand new standalone model if you will.
Either way, it's a quiet, fuel-sipping success.
In the market for a crossover that's in the same price range of the Corolla Cross? You might want to consider these cars:
The stylishly designed and well-appointed Mazda CX-30 delivers plenty of quality and refinement
Ample equipment, practical space and a well-sorted drive are all to be found on the Kia Seltos
The grown-up Nissan Qashqai feels like the final word in quiet comfort among the SUVs of today
See just how practical this hybrid SUV can be in out video review!
