As Toyota’s next to their top selling Civic compact sedan, their Corolla was the most affordable compact. So it was genius of Toyota to take the Corolla and turn it into a Corolla Cross compact SUV, but with added attractiveness of a hybrid powertrain.
Size wise, the AWD Corolla Cross Hybrid slots smaller than Toyota’s hot-selling RAV4 but in today’s automotive marketplace, Corolla Cross has been the preference of buyers who want an economical SUV that isn’t too big nor ultra-small. It’s sized just right and the sales numbers show it. Add the hybrid powertrain and Cross offers excellent fuel economy at an affordable price.
Corolla Cross is offered in S, SE, Nightshade and top line XSE that we tested. As such, it was exceptionally loaded with the latest safety and amenity features.
Exterior wise, Corolla Cross takes on the look of the RAV4 with its massive grille and sweeping, slippery styling lines.
Cross’s interior, with a low 17.5-inch step-in, offers a cockpit that is simple yet attractive in design. Heated and nicely supportive SofTex front seats are complimented with an 8-inch infotainment display that offers Wi-Fi, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto connectivity along with 4G, plus, Sirius radio, Cloud navigation, JBL audio and a rearview camera.
A 7-inch digital gauge cluster also displays drive mode selections of Charge, Eco and Power modes. There’s also a driver information display for alerts, functions and features.
Below the infotainment display is a horizontal array of easy to view and use HVAC controls.
The vertical stack beneath it houses the gear selector for the CVT transmission that includes paddle shifters, along with a drive mode switch for Sport, Eco, Normal and EV modes, the latter is good for short trips to the local grocery stores or errands. In front of the gear selector is a phone charging pad for wireless charging.
Back seats are nicely padded and comfy for two short-legged adults as leg room is marginal and even tougher if the fronts are racked well rearward.
In the cargo area that offers 21.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, it measures 33 inches deep, 42 wide and 28.5 high. Flip the seat backs and cargo space increases to 40.3 cubic feet for 75 inches of loading depth.
Beneath the cargo floor are three foam bins for small item storage along with a tire puncture repair kit and inflator.
Corolla Cross Hybrid rides smoothly and quietly especially in EV mode on 18-inch Goodyear tires. And with 8.0 inches of ground clearance, it can traverse modest snow depths. It also parks easily with a tight 35.4-foot curb-curb turn diameter.
Powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, with 150-hp and 139 lb/ft of torque, and when combined with the hybrid system, Cross has a combined 196-hp output. As such, acceleration is impressive and in EV mode it’s instantly quick. Mileage wise, EPA rates it at 45 city, 38-highway mpg. And it carries a tow rating of up to 1,500 pounds.
Price wise, and with a long list of features such as Toyota’s Safety Sense 3.0 Pre-Collision System w/pedestrian detection, full speed range radar cruise control, lane departure alert w/steering assist, automatic high beams, blind spot monitoring w/rear cross traffic alert, automatic braking (a real accident preventer) and more, Cross Hybrid is base priced at $31.155.
The options list included the convenience package ($1,250) that consisted of a moonroof, power liftgate, JBL audio ($800) w/8 speakers and subwoofer, amplifier, adaptive headlights ($615), two-tone exterior color ($500), and with delivery ($1,350) they took the bottom line to $35,670. An impressive price for this much content in an all-weather AWD Hybrid SUV.
Aside from this affordable price, Corolla Cross Hybrid received the next to top 4-star government safety ratings for driver/passenger frontal crash, and five stars for front/rear seat side crash. All respectable numbers.
That said, and if you’re in the market for a sensible size, economical AWD Hybrid SUV with Toyota’s known reliability, take Corolla Cross Hybrid for a test drive. You’ll certainly be impressed as I was.
