The New Toyota Corolla Cross Is the Hybrid Crossover You've Been Waiting For

As Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) celebrates its 32nd birthday this month, it marked another milestone yesterday by introducing its first hybrid crossover in its lineup, the new Corolla Cross.

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Designed as the stylish urban vehicle, the Corolla Cross combines Toyota’s signature “QDR” (quality, durability, and reliability) with style and functionality. The hybrid electric variant further realizes Toyota’s vision of sustainable mobility and makes self-charging hybrid technology more accessible to Filipinos.

Photo by Toyota Motor Philippines.

In addition to its hybrid technology, the Corolla Cross also features two of Toyota’s most advanced car technologies today, the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), and Toyota Safety Sense (TSS).

“Guided by our philosophy of making ever-better cars, Toyota took the best of a trusted model, the Toyota Corolla, and turned it into a sleek and modern crossover,” said TMP President Atsuhiro Okamoto during the online launch of the new vehicle. “The Corolla Cross is designed to move you in comfort and style, whether you're seeking adventure, doing business, or simply spending time with people you love,” he added.

The Corolla Cross had its global debut last month in Thailand, which is also its production source country. Now on its 12th generation, Corolla is the world’s best-selling nameplate, with over 48 million units sold in over 150 countries since 1966. It overtook the Volkswagen Beetle and Ford Model T twice over. Corolla is from the Latin word meaning “small crown,” with the Crown as the brand’s flagship sedan model at the time. The Corolla Cross will be available in select Southeast Asian markets.

Photo by Toyota Motor Philippines.

The new Corolla Cross comes in two variants: the 1.8 V HV (Hybrid) and 1.8 G CVT which will be available at Toyota dealerships nationwide starting August 26, 2020 and is priced at P1.65 million and P1.285 million respectively. The Platinum White Pearl Mica color comes with a P15,000 premium over suggested retail price.

The Corolla Cross’ exterior starts strong with its imposing double trapezoid front grille, which gives the vehicle a wide and stable appearance. Exclusive to the hybrid variant are LED Light Curtain Daytime Running Lights and a subtle blue accent to the bi-beam LED headlamps which complements the blue Toyota logo. Sleek defined lines run from the side to the front of the aerodynamic cabin and the subtle “Double C” character lines along the vehicle’s side profile exudes a sophisticated impression.

Inside, the Corolla Cross shows a minimalist and elegant interior clad in leather for the hybrid variant. It has not only grown vertically, its wide and spacious cabin gives abundant head clearance for easier ingress and the slim seatback gives ample legroom for backseat passengers. The thinner pillars and rear quarter window add to the roomier atmosphere of the Corolla Cross and provide more outward visibility. The hybrid variant also has a retractable tonneau cover for the rear trunk space for privacy, and the spacious trunk has comfortable loading height for ease of access. 

The hybrid variant is powered by a 1.8L engine with Atkinson Cycle designed for the Hybrid system, rated at 142 maximum torque at 3,600 rpm, and combined with an electric motor is rated at 120 horsepower maximum output. The 1.8 G CVT variant is rated at 138 horsepower and 172Nm maximum torque with its 16-Valve DOHC, 4-Cylinder, In-line, Chain drive with Dual VVT-I engine.

Photo by Toyota Motor Philippines.

The Corolla Cross was designed and developed under TNGA, which embodies Toyota’s vision of making ever-better cars with core strength and an emphasized personality. Based on the current generation Corolla platform, it has a 10.4m curb-to-curb turning radius and its dimensions allow a commanding view of the road with the high seating position and thinner front pillars.

Similar to the Corolla Altis, the Corolla Cross has a MacPherson strut front suspension optimized for its SUV structure. The rear suspension features an all-new torsion beam design which helps improve the ride handling and reduce body roll. The MacPherson strut/Torsion Beam suspension combined with the rigid body structure of the vehicle ensures the driver and passengers maximum ride stability and comfort all throughout the journey. 

More specs can be found it is website (links here) https://toyota.com.ph/corollacross  

To make the Corolla Cross affordable, TMP will also be making the Corolla Cross Hybrid variant available through its Balloon Payment Plus financing plan.