We tested the new member of the Corolla family, the Toyota Corolla Cross: 4.46 meters long that places it somewhere between the RAV4 and the HRC
Toyota has been a pioneer in offering economical cars that are not necessarily electric, and now it goes a step further with the Toyota Corolla Cross, a car in SUV format aimed above all at young families, which debuts the brand’s next-generation hybrid propulsion system.
Design
With a trunk that goes from 425 to 1,337 liters, without a doubt young families have it won… when it comes to carrying luggage. The second row isn’t as generous, and adults of a certain size will find it narrow. So it is best to reserve them for children.
At the wheel it is much more comfortable and, above all, it has been greatly modernized.
The cockpit design is bold, with a large digital screen in front of the driver and another TFT in the middle of the dashboard.
Everything looks modern and solidly fitted, but unfortunately, the materials leave something to be desired to the touch: hard plastics predominate to the detriment of soft surfaces.
And there is still a detail that takes you back to the 90s and contrasts strongly with its modern appearance in general: the buttons for the heating of the seats, prominent, made of cheap plastic and that make a loud ‘clack’ when you press them.
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Corolla Cross engine and technology
The assistance systems do deserve our respect: they have been improved so much that the steering wheel’s reaction to lane loss is much faster, and the cruise control or collision control also work with incredible efficiency.
As for the engine, it is the fifth generation of Toyota’s hybrid system. In front, I have a four-cylinder that yields 157 CV, connected to another 113 electric one. The total power of the system is 197 hp. It sounds great, but the problem is that when you request some claw, it flies very loud.
And it is that the engine feels very hard all the time; In the AWD variant that we have also tested, yes, we have another electric motor behind with 30 extra CV.
What the fifth generation of Toyota’s hybrid system has shown in this test is its efficiency: in the 180 mixed kilometers that we have traveled with all-wheel drive, we have averaged 6.2 liters per 10 kilometers. And in the case of the front-wheel drive, they have been only 5.5.
Factors to decide the purchase
A modern car with a good trunk and a very economical propulsion system is what you get in return. Of course: for the AWD, the most recommended (its 30 extra CV are very necessary) you will have to pay more than 40,000 euros. And it has some details that could be improved, such as the abundance of hard plastics or fairly fair rear seats.
