2022 Cross expected to be crossover success
What’s most surprising is how long it took Toyota to flesh out void between Corolla, RAV4
THE Corolla brand helped place Toyota solidly on the North American landscape more than a half-century ago with practical and inexpensive two- and four-door compact models.
After 40-million-plus vehicles sold around the world, the Corolla remains at the top of its game with both sedan and hatchback variants. And the 2022 Corolla Cross will join in later this year.
With the public gobbling up tall wagons like never before, developing a Corolla-branded version spared Toyota from introducing a fresh new name and spending untold gobs of money promoting it to prospective purchasers. The Corolla name is as ubiquitous as Coca-cola or Microsoft.
It’s unquestionably by design that the Corolla Cross appears the way it does. From stem to stern, it conjures up images of the RAV4, but on a smaller scale. The dominant grille heads up prominent front and rear bulging fenders. There’s also plenty of protective darkened trim on the rocker panels and around the wheel openings.
Compared with the RAV4, the Cross is about 5.5 inches shorter, an inch narrower and the roofline is more than 2 inches lower. The wheelbase — the distance between the front and rear wheels — is 2 inches less. The cargo area behind the split-folding rear seat is about 20 percent less the RAV4’S, and the maximum towing capacity of 1,500 pounds is also 2,000 less.
The Corolla Cross’ interior is mainly conservative and is closely similar in style to the Corolla sedan and hatchback. The 7- or available 8-inch tablet-style touch screen dominates the dashboard’s landscape and is positioned in plain sight of front- and rear-seat passengers. The attendant knobs, buttons and switches that control infotainment and ventilation systems are easily recognizable, and the old-school floor shifter is arguably more intuitive than most electronic alternatives created to date.
Under the hood is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 169 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. The same engine can be found in the Corolla sedan as an option and is standard in the Hatchback.
Power is directed to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission. All-wheel drive is optional. The system can direct up to 50 percent of the torque to the rear wheels. When AWD is not required, the rear axle is disconnected from the system, which reduces drag and saves fuel.
With the Cross’s 8 inches of ground clearance, the AWD option can be put to practical use when traversing more rugged terrain.
The AWD version is equipped with a fully independent rear suspension, while the front-wheel-drive Corolla Cross uses a torsion-beam setup that still links the left and right wheels.
Front-wheel-drive fuel economy is rated at 31 mpg in the city, 33 on the highway and 32 combined.
Note that later in the 2022 model year, buyers will be able to specify an AWD hybrid, a system that’s currently available for the sedan.
Corolla Cross pricing starts at $23,400 for the front-wheel-drive L trim. Add $1,300 for AWD.
It comes with the usual features plus a fair amount of active-safety technology, including forward collision warning/avoidance (automatic braking), pedestrian/cyclist detection and lane-departure warning.
The LE trim comes with blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert, roof rails, wireless phone charging and 17-inch alloy wheels (17-inch steel wheels are standard).
The top-level XLE gets dual-zone air conditioning, heated front seats (10-way power adjusted for the driver) with premium coverings, front and rear parking assist and 18-inch wheels.
Among the few options is a nine-speaker Jbl-brand audio package that’s available with the 8-inch touch screen.
With the Corolla name attached to it, the Corolla Cross should prove a solid success for Toyota. That is as long as buyers continue their affection for tall wagons that can perform a multitude of tasks with a minimum of fuss over a broad range of weather and road conditions.