Toyota jacks up Corolla to take on Focus Active

Friday, 10 July 2020

Corolla meets... cross? The all-new Corolla Cross SUV is coming here and will bulk up Toyota's SUV range even more.

Look out, Ford Focus Active? Toyota has revealed the Corolla Cross as a new small SUV fighter and it is coming to New Zealand.

The jacked Corolla will slot in between the upcoming Yaris Cross and C-HR, because there’s always a niche for more SUVs. It’ll get both petrol and petrol-electric hybrid powertrains, at least in Thailand where the model was revealed, both using a 1.8-litre inline four and CVT transmission.

“We have secured this product for our line-up and are excited to launch it in due course,” a Toyota new Zealand spokesperson told Stuff. “This addition will continue to add breadth to our overall range, with more SUV options for our customers.”

The Corolla Cross looks more like a baby RAV4 than a larger Corolla, don’t you think?

It's unclear what powertrains New Zealand may get, like the current 2.0-litre 125kW/200Nm petrol engine. Presumably, the hybrid is the same as offered here, sending 90kW and 147Nm through the front wheels.

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Corolla Cross, like the Focus Active, takes its namesake hatch as a base and cranks the ride height to create an urban city crawler that can also handle itself on the farm. To a degree, at least.

It measures 4460mm long, 1825mm wide, and 1620mm high. The C-HR and Corolla Cross share the same 2640mm wheelbase but the Corolla Cross is larger in the other measurements, which should result in more interior space.

As for style, the Corolla Cross looks a bit like a baby RAV4 than a tall Corolla. There’s a similar chunky grille up front, angular headlights instead of the ‘Rolla’s blade shaped units and taillights more inspired by the larger SUV than the hatchback. Inside is standard modern Toyota, with minimal styling, plenty of leather and a freestanding infotainment unit.

The Cross will get a decent array of driver aides, including adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, autonomous emergency braking as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Top spec versions will get extras like a head-up display, sunroof and a better sound system.

Toyota New Zealand says that further information and pricing will be announced closer to the time of launch, although it isn’t clear when that will be at this stage.