Frugal Corolla Cross Hybrid lives up to all the hype

Toyota Corolla is by far the world’s best-selling automotive nameplate. Since 1966, a staggering 50 million sedans and hatchback derivatives have been sold.

With sports utility vehicles (SUVs) having become the global body shape of choice, it was only a matter of time before the Japanese carmaker extended its popular nomenclature to keep up with the times.

In November, the Durban-built Toyota Corolla Cross was finally unleashed on the local market. Judged by its instant success, it was a classic case of the Corolla’s reputation exceeding itself.

Numbers don’t lie

In just two months, Toyota managed to sell an extraordinary 3 509 units of the Corolla Cross. Only two vehicles outsold it over November and December; the Toyota Hilux and Volkswagen Polo Vivo. The Polo Vivo, a long-standing top seller along with its Polo sibling, only managed to pip the Corolla Cross by 125 units as South Africa’s best-selling passenger car over the previous two months.

ALSO READ: Corolla Cross: The A to Z of new Toyota SUV

When Toyota offered us a Corolla Cross as a test car over the festive season, we gladly accepted to see what all the fuss is about. Things got even better when it was a Hybrid model in flagship Xr trim, which sells for R448 300, that reported for duty.

The hybrid system, pioneered by the Prius in the late 1990s, has become a key part of Toyota’s future strategy. While many manufacturers are going straight from internal combustion engines to full electric vehicles, Toyota is taking a more pragmatic approach. The Japanese manufacturer believes that the dual power source system will be the most viable solution towards a greener future for an indefinite period of time.

Greener solutions mean releasing less emissions into the earth’s atmosphere as a result of burning less fuel. While we are all for the preservation of Mother Earth, we were more concerned with the effect the latter would have on the wallet for the average daily commuter.

Corolla Cross engine specifications

The Corolla Cross Hybrid is powered by a combination of a 72kW/142Nm 1.8-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and 53kW/163Nm electric motor. They combine seamlessly to produce a total of 90kW sent to the front wheels via seven-step CVT transmission.

The most attractive number on its spec sheet is the 4.3 litres of petrol Toyota claims the Corolla Cross will sip for every 100km. While claimed numbers are very seldom achieved in the real world, earlier recipients of Corolla Cross testers were vocal on social media about their fuel consumption. In fact, posts boasting returns of under the five-litre mark became the norm in early December.

We quickly bought into this hype after achieving a reading of 4.5L/100km on our very first trip – 80km from Randburg to OR Tambo and back. This gave us hope that a proper Mzansi road trip over the holidays could really be done on a shoestring budget.

With two adults, two primary school children and a healthy load of luggage crammed into the 440-litre boot we set sail for the Eastern Cape. The sleepy Amathole Mountain retreat of Hogsback would be the first stop, following by a stop-over in Queberha en route to Gouritz in the Western Cape before heading back to Johannesburg.

Corolla Cross a super saver

In total, our Corolla Cross covered 3 032km while using only 173 litres of petrol. This works out to 5.7L/100km or travelling 17.5km on every litre. In the context of real-world conditions which meant maintaining an open road speed of around 110km/h with the air-conditioner blowing on every single kilometre, this number is outstanding.

You can achieve – and maybe even better – that kind of fuel economy in a compact hatchback, but it is bound to be a cramped and mostly miserable affair. Especially over that distance carrying the same load. Being able to achieve those numbers in typical Corolla-comfort and spaciousness that has made the nameplate a household name around the world really is what sets this car apart.

Steering and handling the Corolla Cross is as easy as we’ve become used to with anything bearing a Corolla nameplate. The suspension, aided by a 163mm ground clearance, coped superbly well with the gravel roads around Hogsback. The low profile 225/50/R18 rubberware clad around the Xr-specific 18-inch alloys felt as good on the dirt tracks as chunky high-profile tyres fitted to a good old steel rims on a farm bakkie.

Two tiny things that irked us was the handbrake that is activated rather truck-like via a foot pedal and a very annoying beeping sound that can’t be deactivated every time you select reverse gear.

Conclusion

It is easy to see why the Corolla Cross is selling like hot cakes and will continue to do so long into the future. Toyota has taken all the ingredients that contributed to the nameplate’s success over more than five decades to create an attractive SUV that will save you a fortune at the pump. It’s a match made in heaven.

The Toyota Corolla Cross is sold with a six-services/90 000km service plan and three-year/100 000km warranty. Hybrid models include an eight-year warranty on the Hybrid battery.

For more information on the Corolla Cross, click here.