The Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Is The Car Of Our Dreams

Saffers know and love Toyota’s Corolla, there’s not doubt about that. But the all-new Toyota Corolla Cross is on a whole other level and we love love love it! Here’s everything you need to know and love about the Corolla Cross Hybrid.

1/ The Exterior Is Striking

The Corolla Cross fuses the striking design of the Corolla Sedan and Hatch models with a SUV-shape. It’s super sleek and has large, elongated headlamps, as well as fender flares that create a sense of width. She truly is the main character.

2/ The Interior Is Luxe

The interior space echoes that of its Corolla Hatch and Sedan siblings. Here, designers went for an elegant design with excellent ergonomics and occupant space. The Corolla Cross has a premium feel with soft-touch elements and stylish metallic trim (grade dependant).

There is a large centrally-mounted infotainment system and outstanding visibility. And from a functional point of view, you couldn’t ask for much more. There are large door openings to enhance utility so that it’s easy to get in the kids, dogs, shopping bags, luggage or whatever you need to. Spaciousness and occupant comfort has also been prioritised so your passengers won’t have any complaints.

And as for the boot? There’s a class-leading luggage capacity of 440 litres. So it’s great for everyday use and is the perfect travel companion. (if you’re looking for some travel inspo, check out these airbnbs all over SA that have hot tubs)

3/ The Corolla Cross Is Seriously Gamechanging

While the Corolla Cross comes in the conventional petrol powertrain, it’s the Hybrid Petrol-Electric powertrain that is the real standout. Plus, this is also Toyota’s first Hybrid powertrain production on local turf.

These are the hybrid model’s deets:

1.8-litre 2ZR-FXE Atkinson cycle petrol engine
Petrol engine outputs of 72kW & 142Nm (pure ICE mode)
Latest generation Hybrid powertrain with more a compact yet more efficient battery pack
Smooth, immediate acceleration response
Electric motor provides an instant torque boost aiding acceleration (similar to turbo/supercharger)
Ultra-refined and quiet operation
Dedicated EV mode where operation is restricted to near-silent, full-electric propulsion
Automatically recharges the battery pack either via regenerative braking or by the petrol engine
Closed-loop system means there is no need to “plug-In” to recharge the battery
Electric motor outputs of 53kW and 163Nm (at full capacity)
Total system output of 90kW
4.3 litre per 100 km fuel index & 98 g/km CO2 output
Improved performance and fuel efficiency over conventional petrol model

4/ It’s #ProudlySouthAfrican

The Corolla Cross is locally produced in Toyota’s long-running Prospecton Plant in Durban. The Cross thus continues the legacy of producing Corollas in Mzansi, making it #ProudlySouthAfrican.

Securing the manufacturing contract for this model, carries considerable importance – having a direct impact on job creation, industry viability and economic support for not only South Africa, but Africa as a whole. Reinforcing this, President Cyril Ramaphosa officially opened and endorsed the Corolla Cross production line on 26 October 2021.

5/ It Has Great Safety Features

All Corolla Cross models offer buyers a comprehensive safety and security package that includes:

Anti-theft system
Auto door-lock
ISOFIX anchor points
Driver + Passenger + Side airbags across the board
Vehicle Stability Control (VSC)
ABS + EBD + Hill Assist Control

6/ It Comes With A Great Service Plan & Warranty

Because there’s nothing worse than incurring unexpected costs, Toyota has you covered with:

A six-services/90 000 km service plan is standard on all Corolla Cross models
Service intervals of 12-months/15 000 km
A 3-year/100 000 km warranty is included
Hybrid model carries an 8-year warranty on the Hybrid battery
Additional service and warranty plan extensions can be purchased from their nearest Toyota dealer (220 outlets nationwide).

The Corolla Cross 1.8 Hybrid Xs is R 413 000 and the Corolla Cross 1.8 Hybrid XR is R 448 300