Larry Printz: What’s new at Toyota? More than you think

In what has become an annual tradition since the pandemic broke out, Toyota unveiled a number of new models to journalists last week at its U.S. headquarters in Plano. As Toyota is America’s bestselling automaker, any changes to its lineup truly matter. Here’s what’s coming to a Toyota and Lexus showroom in 2023.

2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Having debuted in 2021 as an extension of the Corolla line, the Toyota Corolla Cross will gain a Hybrid model for 2023 powered by the fifth generation of Toyota’s Hybrid system. It delivers 194 horsepower to all four wheels, a first for a Corolla. With an eight-second 0-60 mph time, it returns 37 mpg, compared to the Corolla sedan’s 31-34 mpg.

Toyota will offer the Corolla Cross in sportier S, SE and XSE trim for 2023, which adds a sport-tuned suspension, LED lighting, 17-inch wheels and an 8-inch touchscreen. If you want paddle shifters, you’ll have to opt for the SE, which also gets firmer steering and roof rails, while the XSE gets 18-inch wheels.

All Corolla Cross models receive Toyota’s new multimedia touchscreen system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and additional USB-C charge ports.

But other Toyota Corollas aren’t left untouched. They also get a fresh face and a new 169-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rather than the 139-horsepower 1.8-liter engine used on the Corolla L in 2022. The new mill reduces 0-60 mph by two seconds and improves fuel economy by nearly 2 mpg. Yet eradicating the 1.8-liter engine also eliminates the Corolla L, raising the car’s starting price by $450.

2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition

Perhaps the wildest car Toyota revealed last week was the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition, the ultimate track-oriented version of the Corolla hatchback, built to Toyota president and master driver Akio Toyoda’s specifications. Morizo is Akio’s alias when he slips behind the wheel as a member of Toyota’s Gazoo Racing team, or GR for short. Its 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine unleashes a massive 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. The Morizo Edition’s all-wheeldrive system comes with selectable 30-70, 50-50, and 60-40 front-to-rear wheel power settings and standard dual limited slip differentials.

Thoughtfully, engineers shaved nearly 100 pounds of weight from the car by using a forged carbon fiber roof, and ditching the rear seats, rear door speakers, rear window regulator, and rear wiper blade and motor. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires mount on 18-inch forged alloy wheels that artfully frame the front-mounted four-piston 14-inch disc brakes with ventilated, slotted rotors with aluminum calipers, and the rear two-piston 11.7-inch units.

This isn’t a car; it’s a high-speed track weapon. Much obliged, Morizo.

2023 Lexus RX

Long the darling of retirees, empty nesters and soccer moms, the fifthgeneration of Lexus’ bestseller gets redesigned and gains a new hybrid model.

Most importantly, it gets Lexus’ new infotainment system, which replaces the finicky, hard-to-use touchpad system for a 14-inch touchscreen that was the top reason RX owners never bought another one.

Built on a new platform, the 2023 RX’s lower center of gravity and 198-pound weight loss should improve handling. The RX wears a fresh rendition of Lexus’ spindle grille, but the rest of the vehicle looks familiar, despite its fresh lines.

Underneath resides a new turbocharged 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine that delivers less horsepower but more torque. It’s rated at 275 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, as compared to the 295 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque of the outgoing RX 350’s V-6. An eightspeed automatic transmission delivers power to the front wheels, or all four.

There’s also a new RX 350h Hybrid, with a 2.5-liter four and an electric motor on each axle providing all-wheel drive through a CVT transmission. It has even less power — 246 horsepower and 233 pound-feet of torque — but uses less fuel. It returns an estimated 33 mpg in combined city/highway driving, better than the conventional powerplant’s 24 mpg. Lexus will field an RX Plug-in Hybrid in 2024, as well as a new RX 500h F-Sport Performance model, although Lexus hasn’t revealed any details.

2023 Lexus RZ

Come 2023, Lexus will release the all-new 2023 RZ 450e, the luxury brand’s first battery-electric vehicle. Wearing similar lines to the Lexus RX, but lacking its awkward detailing.

Built on Toyota’s e-TNGA battery electric platform that’s also used for the Toyota bZ4x and Subaru Solterra. The RZ features torque vectoring all-wheel drive and steer-by-wire. The RZ’s 65.6kWh battery pack and dual electric motors provide 308 horsepower.

Inside, expect a cabin with manmade faux suede and leather, head-up display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an upscale ambiance and a large 14-inch infotainment touchscreen running the brand’s newest operating system. A yoke steering wheel is optional.

2023 Lexus UX

For 2023, the UX comes only as a hybrid, a move that makes far more sense for what has been little more than a fancy Toyota C-HR. Now known as the UXh, it will come with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine and an electric motor providing 181 horsepower to the rear wheels. As part of the driveline update, Lexus added 20 spot welds to improve structural rigidity. A variable suspension with performance tuning is a new option. That and other tweaks should enhance the sales appeal of this luxury niblet.

Two more new models expected Toyota will also release two all-new models in the U.S. market by year’s end, but that’s fodder for another column.