The Corolla nameplate is legendary. Introduced 60 years ago, more Corollas have been sold than any other car. Over 50 million, in fact. The name has appeared on the back of sedans, hatchbacks, and even station wagons, but never on an SUV. This changed in 2020 when Toyota decided to slap it on the back of a compact SUV and called it the Corolla Cross.
Although the Corolla Cross is available as a petrol-only and a hybrid, only the latter is available on our sunny shores. The hybrid comes in two versions: a 1.8-litre and a more powerful 2-litre. The latter is only available through the authorised dealer Borneo Motors, and it is the model we are testing today.
What’s new in the facelift?
The front grille is the most significant change to the exterior.
Photo: HWZ
The Corolla Cross was given a facelift last year to keep it looking fresh and competitive. On the outside, the entire front has been updated with new headlights and a honeycomb-pattern grille. The rest of the car is largely unchanged. If you were behind one, you’d be hard-pressed to tell if it’s the facelift model you were following.
The combination of the new colour-matched front grille and narrow headlights gives the Corolla Cross a sleeker front fascia. I won’t say it looks any more attractive than the model it replaces – just different. Overall, there’s nothing ungainly or divisive about the way it looks. The best way to describe it is smart and pleasant.
The layout of the cabin is the same, but the centre console and shifter have been refreshed. There’s now space for two phones, with one pad doubling as a wireless charger, and a nicer-looking shifter. It’s a welcome change, but the cabin still mostly looks and feels basic, and lacks the pizzazz of its rivals. Happily, it still relies on buttons for controls, so it’s easy to adjust things like the volume and air-conditioning.
To improve refinement, Toyota also says there are more sound-damping materials used throughout the car to reduce wind and road noise. Indeed, the car is fairly quiet when cruising at highway speeds.
