Toyota Corolla Cross can be had with a 1.8-litre petrol or 1.8-litre petrol/hybrid engine mated to a CVT transmission
Toyota Motor Corporation has finally unveiled the Cross version of the Corolla in the Thai market. The Japanese manufacturer calls it as “Corolla Meets SUV” as the compact sports utility vehicle helps in expanding the Corolla range to greet new audiences. It has also been confirmed that the Corolla Cross will be introduced in other markets in the near future.
The Corolla nameplate does not need any introduction as since the debut back in 1966 in Japan, the series has been responsible for garnering more than 48 million unit sales, and is available in more than 150 countries worldwide. The best-selling car has often been experimented with ever changing landscape of the automotive industry as new body styles arrived taking advantage of the Corolla brand image.
The continuous evolution has resulted in the global premiere of the Corolla Cross as it caters to the growing demand of SUVs. Recently, Toyota has been expanding its SUV/crossover portfolio as the fourth generation Harrier, upgraded RAV4 and Yaris Cross are part of the new age lineup. Based on the TNGA-C architecture, the Cross has plenty in common with the standard Corolla.
Toyota says it provides “exceptional comfort” alongside offering a spacious interior, easy ingress and exiting, “class-leading” trunk space of 487 litres and a suite of driver assistive and safety technologies. The Corolla Cross gets a new torsion-beam suspension for improved stability and ride quality, and the elevated driving position is said to contribute to a wide field of view.
It is claimed to have class-leading turning radius of 5.2 metres. The Toyota Safety Sense suite will be offered as standard for the Hybrid High grade in Thailand while Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are equipped to the Corolla Cross Hybrid in mid- and top-spec variants. It has a fuel efficiency of 4.3 L/100 km (23.25 kmpl) and CO2 emissions of 98 g/km for the hybrid model.
The petrol-powered version has certified fuel economy of 6.5 L/100 km (15.38 kmpl) and CO2 emissions of 150 g/km under the NEDC test cycle. The Corolla Cross measures 4,460 mm long, 1,825 mm wide and stands 1,620 mm tall with a wheelbase length of 2,640 mm and curb weight of 1,385 kg. As for the performance, the 1.8-litre 2ZR-FBE petrol engine produces 140 horsepower and 175 Nm of peak torque.
It is paired with a CVT automatic transmission driving only the front wheels. The hybrid version uses a 600 V electric motor capable of 72 hp and 163 Nm. Working in tandem, the combined power output stands at 122 horsepower, and is mated to an e-CVT (Electric continuously variable transmission). As for the exterior, it has an in-the-face attitude with a prominent front grille, wraparound headlamps with sleek LED DRLs, sturdy black fenders, inverted L-shaped LED horizontal tail lamps and bold skid plates.
It is equipped with MacPherson front strut and Torsion beam rear and the braking duties are performed by ventilated front disc and rear disc. The type size is at 215/60 R17 and 225/50 R18 front and rear respectively.
