Toyota reinvents an Australian favourite with Corolla Cross – NEWS.com.au

Toyota has reinvented the Corolla, adding a third body style to one of the most popular nameplates on the road. A high-riding Toyota Corolla Cross will join the existing Corolla hatch and Corolla sedan in showrooms from the second half of 2022, giving drivers a new compact SUV option.
Larger than the compact Toyota Yaris Cross or C-HR SUV but smaller than the popular Toyota RAV4, the Corolla Cross takes a similar approach to Subaru’s XV crossover.
Riding on the same wheelbase as the Corolla hatch (as opposed to the roomier sedan), the Corolla Cross addresses the small car’s Achilles heel.
Regular Corolla models have a tiny boot, with just 217 litres of boot space for models that come with a spare wheel, or 333 litres for hybrid variants that only have a repair kit.
The new car has a much more accommodating 487 litres of boot space, which will no doubt be welcomed by growing families.
But it’s unlikely to drive as well as the surprisingly dynamic Corolla hatch, as Toyota opted cheaper torsion beam rear suspension in place of the five-door’s sophisticated trailing wishbone arrangement.
On sale already in Thailand, the Corolla Cross is powered by a choice of 1.8-litre petrol or hybrid engines with 103kW and 90kW maximums.
Toyota Australia says it is too soon to lock in local specifications for the car, but the growing popularity of hybrid models suggests the petrol-electric version is a certain starter in Australia.
Expect the machine to feature up-to-date safety and connectivity tech including smartphone mirroring and advanced driver aids when it arrives in two years’ time.

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