BRENWIN NAIDU | Toyota Corolla Cross gets sporty

Most South Africans best associate the Corolla nameplate with a sedan. But that might not be the case for much longer, with the new Cross variant supplanting the conventional saloon in popularity.

Over the years, Corolla was also served in hatchback format, but by other titles: Conquest, RunX and Auris, taking on Volkswagen Golf, Mazda 3, Honda Civic, Hyundai i30, Kia Cerato and other C-segment contenders that have waned in popularity. You may recall there was even a Corolla Verso, a multipurpose vehicle aimed at growing families.

But now it is the turn of the Corolla Cross, an overnight hit since introduction in the fourth quarter of 2020. The local operations of the Japanese carmaker have bounced back after disruptions in the wake of the devastating April floods in KwaZulu-Natal which left the Prospecton plant among the casualties.

Activities at the facility resumed in August. At the reopening ceremony, Toyota also unveiled a special edition version of the Corolla Cross, wearing the GR-Sport designation. We spent some time sampling the model over a route in Johannesburg.

In case you forgot, Gazoo Racing (GR) is the banner under which Toyota markets its sportier offerings. There are tiers to the GR programme: GR-Sport is in the middle and denotes the addition of mild cosmetic and handling enhancements.

You need not look all that hard to identify the visual upgrades boasted by the new model. This includes a restyled front grille in black paint, vertical air ducts incorporating fog lamps and an assertive horizontal cross bar. The black pack theme continues with the side mirrors, roof, roof rails, rear spoiler tailgate trim and rear diffuser. Three body colours are served; Arizona Red, Chromium Silver and Glacier White.

Inside, the seats are clad in leather upholstery with GR logos emblazoned on the headrests, while a red strip runs across the dashboard and red stitching features on the steering wheel. In all, subtle touches that provide a little more wow factor than a garden variety Corolla Cross.

It is based on the high-grade Xr model, so it benefits from a high level of equipment. Keyless-entry, dual-zone climate control and a reversing camera are part of the deal, in addition to adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and lane-trace assist.

After “stalling” a few times (then remembering the foot-operated parking brake release); we were off. Hopefully Toyota replaces this with a modern, electronic system when the facelift is launched. Under the bonnet is a 1.8l four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 103kW and 172Nm without hybrid assistance.

Output remains unchanged from lesser Corolla Cross siblings, but the steering was recalibrated for greater responsiveness while the shock absorbers and springs were purportedly revised to deliver a more dynamic feel.

There were no serious criticisms to be levelled at the Cross in the department of road manners. Our route comprised town driving and a freeway stint, real world conditions, in which the vehicle proved to be a comfortable, easy-going companion. It is a confident steer with an assuring feel at the national speed limit. The continuously-variable transmission (CVT) does a reasonable job of keeping things on the boil.

It comes in at R453,200 which is in the middle of the pricing hierarchy, where the basic Xi comes in at R360,400 and the hybrid flagship Xr costs R481,700.

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