2022 Toyota Corolla Cross: 2.0-litre hybrid and petrol power set for Australia
Toyota’s upcoming small SUV entrant will offer a choice of petrol and hybrid power in Australia when it arrives net year – the latter option packing a Hyundai N Line-rivalling punch.
The 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross will debut a new and more powerful 2.0-litre hybrid system for Australia when it arrives in the second half of 2022.
Confirmed as part of its European reveal overnight, the Corolla Cross – which sits between the Yaris Cross and RAV4 in Toyota’s range, and alongside the C-HR – will be available in Australia with a choice of three powertrain options, led on price by an entry-level model with a pure petrol engine and front-wheel drive.
Likely to account for the majority of sales is a hybrid option, available with front- or all-wheel drive – the latter of which will introduce a new “fifth-generation” 2.0-litre hybrid system, claimed to deliver “more power and torque, greater efficiency and improved drivability”.
Toyota Australia doesn’t quote performance figures, however in Europe the 2.0-litre hybrid Corolla Cross (with front-wheel drive) develops 146kW, and can accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 8.1 seconds – with the all-wheel-drive model incorporating an additional 30.6kW electric motor on the rear axle.
A combined power figure for the all-paw model isn’t given, though Toyota says the “acceleration performance” is shared – suggesting an identical 146kW figure, or a mild increase (as per the RAV4 Hybrid, which develops 160kW with front-wheel drive, or 163kW with all-wheel drive).
The Corolla Cross Hybrid’s outputs would make it one of the most powerful models in the small SUV under $40,000 segment (excluding full high-performance Hyundai N and Volkswagen R models), matching the 146kW/265Nm Hyundai Kona N Line, and surpassing the 140kW/320Nm Volkswagen T-Roc 140TSI and 139kW/252Nm Mazda CX-30 G25.
As for the pure petrol engine, few details are known, though it’s likely to be a version of the 126kW/203Nm 2.0-litre non-turbo four-cylinder offered in the US – and similar to the unit in Australia’s Corolla hatch and sedan – or the 103kW/170Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder available in Japan.
Australian pricing and specifications will be confirmed closer to launch, however Toyota says local Corolla Cross models will gain a new infotainment system (revealed for Europe earlier this week) with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, and a “raft of improved Toyota Safety Sense features” standard across the range.
Available features in Europe include 18-inch alloy wheels, a 360-degree camera, panoramic sunroof, over-the-air updates, and a full suite of active safety technology.
European models score a unique dashboard with a 10.5-inch central touchscreen and 12.3-inch fully-digital instrument cluster – though it’s possible Australian examples could use the 9.0-inch touchscreen and 7.0-inch instrument display available in Japan.
The 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross will go on sale in Australia in the second half of 2022. Stay tuned to Drive for all the latest updates.
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