Toyota Corolla Cross confirmed for Australia

Toyota Australia has formally confirmed it will introduce its eighth SUV model – the 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross – with both petrol and hybrid power in the second half of next year.

Based on the top-selling Toyota Corolla small car, the all-new compact crossover will take on rivals like the award-winning Hyundai Kona, Mazda CX-30 and Volkswagen T-Roc in the small SUV class.

The 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross squeezes between the Japanese car-maker’s smallest SUV, the new Yaris Cross, and Australia’s top-selling SUV, the mid-size RAV4, within what will become a 20-strong model range from Australia’s most popular auto brand.

It will be sold concurrently in Australia alongside Toyota’s existing small SUV option, the C-HR – proof you can never have too many SUVs, given Toyota also has the Fortuner and the top-selling Prado and LandCruiser.

Co-inciding with its European reveal overnight, following it Japanese launch in September and its Thai reveal in July, the new Corolla Cross was confirmed to arrive in Australia in the second half of next year.

Like the Thai version, the Corolla Cross Hybrid revealed in Europe wears a different front-end design to the JDM-market model, with a large honeycomb grille that intersects the bonnet, rather than sitting below a traditional grille.

Pricing and specifications will be confirmed closer to launch, but while it won’t be cheaper than the Yaris Cross (currently priced from $26,990), it’s possible the Corolla Cross could undercut the C-HR (from $30,915) and start from under $30K if it comes here from Thailand.

The headline powertrain is a new 2.0-litre petrol-electric system that will debut in Australia, where it will be available in both front-drive and all-wheel drive forms.

The fifth generation of Toyota’s hybrid system makes 146kW in front-drive form and is claimed to accelerate to 100km/h in 8.1sec. The all-wheel drive hybrid model incorporates an additional 30.6kW electric motor at the rear and should offer similar power and performance.

A pure petrol version is also on the cards, and will likely take the form of a 126kW/204Nm 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder like that used in the Corolla hatch and sedan in Australia, or the 103kW/170Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder available in Japan’s Corolla Cross.

The new Toyota SUV is based on the same TNGA-C platform that underpins the Corolla hatch and sedan and also the Toyota C-HR.

Thai versions of the Corolla Cross have the same wheelbase as the C-HR (2640mm) but are longer by 70mm at 4460mm in length and wider (1825mm) and taller (1620mm) too, which will ensure interior space is more generous.

Toyota Australia isn’t saying much else at this stage, except that the Corolla Cross receives its latest infotainment system featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto.

It’s unclear whether Australian versions will come with the 9.0-inch infotainment touch-screen and 7.0-inch driver’s display offered in Japan, or the unique dashboard available in European models, which feature a 10.5-inch touch-screen and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

In Europe, the Corolla Cross can be had with a full suite of active safety technology, over-the-air updates, 360-degree camera, panoramic sunroof and 18-inch alloy wheels.

“We know Australians love their SUVs and Toyota is continuing to meet that demand by offering an ever-growing range of models, all of which are introducing our fuel-efficient hybrid powertrain and advanced safety technology,” said Toyota Australia sales and marketing chief Sean Hanley.

“The all-new Corolla Cross delivers the sort of style, versatile space and dynamic driving characteristics that will appeal to young families and couples alike.”

Related: Toyota Corolla Cross draws near