Toyota Australia has revealed new details about its upcoming Corolla Cross small SUV, due to hit our market in the later stages of 2022.
Revealed for the European market overnight, the 2022/2023 Toyota Corolla Cross will slot between the smaller Yaris Cross and larger RAV4 in the company’s SUV line-up in Australia, alongside the more rakish C-HR.
A key update in the company’s messaging is the confirmation of the new fifth-generation 2.0-litre hybrid system for the Australian market, which claims to offer more performance, better efficiency and improved driveability.
The new hybrid drivetrain is offered with both front-wheel drive (2WD) and electric all-wheel drive in other markets, though it seems Australia will only offer the new hybrid setup with the latter drive layout.
While Toyota Australia is yet to confirm specifications for our market, the EU-market Corolla Cross with the 2.0-litre petrol-electric AWD drivetrain offers 146kW of system power, good for a 0-100 sprint in 8.1 seconds.
Dubbed AWD-i, the all-paw version adds a 30.6kW electric motor on the rear axle which “automatically engages to give greater traction, driving confidence and peace of mind in low-grip conditions”.
Other headline features of the brand’s new fifth-generation hybrid technology include a re-engineered transaxle, new lubrication and oil distribution systems and new lithium-ion batteries that are both more powerful and 40 per cent lighter.
There are also performance improvements to the electric motor and petrol engine – with a “more than 8 per cent” improvement to total system output.
These developments come together to provide, at least according to the European press release, “more linear, predictable and controllable under acceleration, with vehicle speed more closely matching engine revolutions to provide a more intuitive and natural driving experience”.
Front-wheel drive models will likely offer the smaller 1.8-litre hybrid system used by the local-spec Corolla Hybrid and C-HR Hybrid, which quotes a 90kW system power output. A petrol-only FWD model has also been confirmed for our market.
Other Australian-market details remain scant, though Toyota’s local arm has confirmed the Corolla Cross will offer “the latest multimedia system” with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – likely to be the same unit offered in Europe as pictured.
“A raft of improved Toyota Safety Sense features” will also feature on the Australian model.
Further details will be announced closer to the Corolla Cross’s Australian launch during the second half of 2022. Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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