He Toyota Corolla Cross It is one of the most desired vehicles on the local market. So much so, that last year there were times when the waiting list to buy one exceeded 10 months, due to the high demand and the difficulties in importing.
This medium SUV now arrives renewed, with some design improvements and more equipment, and with the brand’s promise of a greater offer that will not generate the waiting time that existed in the past.
This model continues to arrive imported from Brazil and its range remains unchangedboth for the mechanical options it offers and for the equipment levels available.
Along with the gasoline options, with a 2.0 engine and 170 horsepower, the hybrid variants are maintained, which end up being one of the most requested of the Corolla Cross due to the low levels of consumption and the benefits obtained in paying the license fee with a model. thus in some districts, such as the city of Buenos Aires, for example.
In Clarion We tested this latest version, which continues to prove to be a great alternative as a family vehicle and with a fairly low cost in terms of fuel economy.
Change to not change
The aesthetic changes that this renovation brings are not many but they are enough to generate a good facelift. It is precisely in the nose where the biggest modification appears and it has to do with the new grill design.
The previous grid, with a more conventional style, has now been replaced by a body-colored mask that integrates better with the vehicle. Its honeycomb style allows the correct entry of air into the engine compartment with well-disguised holes. It even gives an idea of an electric car.
The headlights have also changed despite not having modified their shapes. The new features are in the LED daytime running lights, which are also responsible for the turn signals and which turn on their four modules in sequence.
The other important novelty for this renewal is still arriving at dealerships and has to do with a detail that was previously highly criticized about the Corolla Cross: the end of the escape in sight in the rear sector.
The brand had already applied a black paint that camouflaged this element a little but was still visible. Now a spoiler has been designed that covers it completely. This solution is already available in Brazil as an option and the brand confirmed that it will also begin to be offered in Argentina.
Inside the Corolla Cross maintains the same style as before. There are no changes in the shapes of the dashboard or the center console. Some coatings have evolved and now look better and they feel better to the touch but, for example, are still hard.
But it does show two important new features. One of them has to do with the parking brake (better known as the “handbrake”), which was previously mechanical and was activated with a pedal and is now electric and is executed by pressing a small lever between the seats.
The other important novelty is the instrument panel, now 100% digital. It is 7” in the entry versions and 12.3” in the SEG, which handled Clarion.
The hybrid system has not changed and that has its pros and cons, although in reality they do not end up being that much. The pros are the well-known ones, an exaggerated low fuel consumption: in the city you can make up to 5 L/100 km on average, since it is where you turn off the combustion engine the most and use the electric one. But even on the road it has contained consumption, below 8 L/100 km.
What could be improved are the sensations it provides when a lot of acceleration is required. Between the fact that the system is not very powerful (122 horsepower in total combining the combustion engine and electric motor) and the CVT box is not the fastest in responding, what the driver receives is a package that seems to be over-demanded during those moments.
The dynamic behavior of the Corolla Cross It is among the best in the segment, despite not having independent rear suspension. The brand’s engineers have managed to offer great ride comfort and very good cornering.
The evolution is also seen in some aspects of equipment. The SEG versions, for example, now add electric opening of the tailgate.
In short, a vehicle that does almost everything well, with comparatively reasonable prices and low consumption. To this we must add a customer experience that is generally satisfactory. It is reasonable, then, for users to wait for a new unit.
Datasheet
Wheelbase 2,640 mm
36 liter fuel tank
1.8 L gasoline engine, Atkinson cycle
Power 98 HP at 5,250 rpm
Torque 142 Nm a 3.600 rpm
Electric motor power 72 HP
Hybrid power 122 HP at 5,200 rpm
Acel. 0-100 km/h 11.5 seconds
Maximum speed 178 km/h
Average consumption 5 L/100 km
main equipment
Front, front side, curtain and knee airbags for driver
adaptive cruise control
Autonomous emergency brake
Lane keeping system
Cross traffic alert
12.3” digital instrument panel
Two-zone climate control
Wireless cell phone charger
Electric tailgate
Prices
Corolla Cross XLI 2.0 CVT: $ 33.291.000
Corolla Cross XEI 2.0 CVT: $ 35.329.000
Corolla Cross SEG 2.0 CVT: $ 37.488.000
Corolla Cross XEI HEV 1.8 eCVT: $ 36.281.000
Corolla Cross SEG HEV 1.8 eCVT $ 38.392.000 (Tested version)
Corolla Cross GR-Sport 2.0 CVT $ 38.498.000