Toyota Corolla Cross SUV firms

The all-new sub-$25,000 Toyota Yaris Cross is coming to Australia later this year, but Toyota is far from finished expanding its considerable SUV range.

Not by a long shot.

As we reported last week, Toyota Australia is eyeing off a larger new Corolla-sized small SUV due in late 2021, which was confirmed via a leaked document from a top-level dealer conference in the USA.

It turns out that the new SUV, which is understood to be based on the same TNGA-C platform as the Corolla and will be roughly the same size, is unlikely to be a micro LandCruiser like 2017's Toyota TJ Cruiser or FT-4X concepts, and more like – well – a Corolla on stilts.

This development comes on the back of a trademark submission that Toyota filed for the name 'Corolla Cross' both in Australia and Europe, all but confirming the vehicle's name and 'crossover' or soft-roader intent.

Drawing parallels with the new Toyota Yaris Cross, the new Corolla Cross will be another urban SUV positioned below Toyota's own RAV4 and aimed directly at the new Mazda CX-30, a circa-$30,000 style-focussed small SUV.

Leveraging the immense brand power of the Corolla name – the world's best-selling vehicle with more than 40 million of them sold since 1966 – the new SUV could be another smash hit for the brand, like the top-selling RAV4 mid-size SUV.

While the Aussie trademark filing doesn't guarantee the vehicle is coming here, as companies often register names to protect themselves, it does lend weight to the vehicle's local arrival.

Fans of the Suzuki Jimny and discontinued Jeep Renegade may be disappointed to know that a rugged compact 4WD like the Toyota FT-4X or TJ Cruiser concepts are unlikely to emerge just yet. The commercial reality is that a city-savvy SUV based heavily on the Corolla will find more customers and make more profit for Toyota.

Given Australian's predilection for affordable SUVs it comes as no surprise that the Toyota Corolla Cross is being closely monitored in Australia.

Last week a representative for Toyota Australia told carsales.com.au that the company would be "…interested in a vehicle of that type and size for Australia."

While there's no official confirmation yet, the new model is definitely on the local radar.

"It is something Toyota Australia are continuing to study," a spokesperson for Toyota Australia said today.

It's true that Toyota already has a Corolla-sized SUV, the C-HR, but that model is pitched as premium offering priced from around $30,000 and loaded to the hilt with equipment.

If the Toyota Corolla Cross gets the green light in Australia it is likely to be priced from around $26,000 and you can bet there will be hybrid versions that add a circa-$2000 premium.

Like the relationship between the Yaris hatchback and Yaris Cross SUV, expect the Corolla to donate its powertrains to the Corolla Cross. That means a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (125kW) and a 1.8-litre petrol-electric hybrid system (90kW) hooked up to (CVT) automatic transmissions.

Like the Yaris Cross, front- and all-wheel drive variants will be available, along with the usual array of safety equipment, including a full complement of airbags, semi-autonomous driving aids and tech features including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Other new Toyota SUVs on the way to Australia include the highly-anticipated Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series which is due to launch in 2021 and, before that, the next Toyota Kluger, which could arrive later this year or early in 2021.