Top 3 Toyota Corolla Cross trims head-to-head: here's our winner

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• Top 3 Toyota Corolla Cross trims head-to-head: here's our winner

The Toyota Corolla Cross is a lovely compact SUV offering from the Japanese firm. Adding to that, the Corolla Cross is built locally in South Africa. Here's what we think are the top 3 trims head to head.

Manufactured in South Africa at Toyota’s Prospecton plant in Durban, the Corolla Cross holds significance in that it’s proudly South African. The Corolla Cross isn’t a simple affair, rather it’s a well-considered vehicle. The underpinnings of the Corolla Cross come from Toyota’s TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) platform, which for all intents and purposes is a modular platform that accommodates hatch, sedan and SUV variants.

The styling of the Corolla Cross follows suit with the Corolla hatch and sedan but does so in an SUV form. The most noticeable feature of the Corolla Cross exterior design would be the front fascia with its long headlamps and massive radiator grille. The interior of the Corolla Cross is minimal but elegant in execution with premium-feeling soft-touch materials. One notable cabin feature would be the class-leading boot space which is rated at 440 litres. All in all, it’s an attractive product for someone starting a family or even small to medium families. We will compare the 1.8 Xi CVT, 1.8 XS CVT HV and 1.8 CVT GR-S.

Powertrain

Across the Corolla Cross range, there are only two engines and one gearbox option. Namely, a 1.8-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine paired with a CVT automatic gearbox or the hybrid in 2 trim levels the 1.8 XS CVT HV and 1.8X R CVT HV. In base spec, the petrol models produce 103 kW of power and 173 Nm of torque while the Hybrid model petrol engine produces 72 kW and 142 Nm in pure ICE mode. The electric motor outputs 53 kW and 163 Nm at full capacity. Claimed fuel consumption respectively is 6.8 L / 100km for the petrol derivative and 4.3 L / 100km for the hybrid variants.

Exterior

The Corolla Cross styling speaks of elegance with sleek front, side and rear fascias. The normal 1.8 Xi and 1.8 XS CVT HV models have subtle styling cues with black plastic cladding across the Corolla Cross exterior, a massive air dam in the front fascia and 17-inch wheels. Where things change up however would be the GR-S model where the aesthetic goes sporty. A dedicated range of colours for the GR-S, a redesigned front bumper and air dam, gloss black 18-inch wheels and gloss black trim pieces in favour of the chrome found in the other trim levels.

Interior

The interiors of the Corolla Cross range are quite in unison bar differences in materials, tech and convenience. The 1.8 Xi has the simplest audio system, even omitting a reverse camera as well as infotainment compared to the 1.8 XS CVT HV and GR-S trim which uses the Toyota Display Audio system equipped with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Seat trimmings are as follows: The 1.8 Xi uses fabric, the 1.8 XS CVT HV uses partial leather whereas the GR-S is full leather with ‘GR’ badging embossed in the seats.

Safety

Across the board, the standard safety equipment found in the Corolla Cross is quality. Features like auto door lock, ISOFIX child seat anchors, and driver assistance systems like the ABS, EBD, Hill Start Assist and Stability control are found across the Corolla Cross range. The only key differences between the top 3 trims here would be that there are no Park Distance control systems in the 1.8 Xi and the GR-S comes with Blind Spot Monitoring with cross-traffic alert and Lane Trace assist. In the 1.8 Xi and 1.8 XS CVT HV, you’ll find side, driver, passenger and driver knee airbags, whereas, in the GR-S, you get all those with the addition of curtain airbags. In the GR-S as well, you’ll find a brake-synchronised pre-crash system and Toyota’s Safety Sense systems.

Pricing

Conclusion

The Corolla Cross no matter which trim level you choose can fit many lifestyles but if we were to slightly split hairs about it, the 1.8 XS CVT HV is quite a good midrange offering, but if you want all the bells and whistles with sporty looks and even sporty handling to boot, the GR-S is the one to gun for. However, the hybrid models are truly frugal and not spartan in their feature set either. The 1.8 Xi shouldn’t be left in the dust also, even though it is a base model, you are not left longing for much if your main concern is commuting reliably, comfortably and safely. Really you can have it all in the Toyota Corolla Cross.

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 Tayedza MbiriStarting his petrol-infused passion at a ripe young age playing a plethora of racing video games, Taye has been into the motoring industry for years. During his university years studying Law, he dipped his toes into motoring photography, videography, and exploring what Southern Africa has to offer for the motoring scene at large. Most recently, he presented a YouTube series for a famous Japanese manufacturer and now finds himself fresh on the AutoTrader content creation team. He hopes to own a 90s Subaru one day soon. View News & Reviews

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