IN THE CROSSHAIRS
I recently saw the new Toyota Corolla Cross SUV being sold in the Philippines. Do you know if it’s coming to Australia?
Jaime Lara, email
It is, and soon. Late last year Toyota Australia said it would arrive in the second half of this year. It will fit between the Yaris Cross and RAV4 in Toyota’s SUV range as a more practical alternative to the C-HR. There will be a pure petrol model and a gutsy new 2.0-litre hybrid that will be the popular choice. Expect a starting price of about $33,000. Waiting lists will be long due to ongoing manufacturing delays, so if you’re interested, I’d register with Toyota now.
KEEP IT REAL
The Audi e-tron S is a toy car for $185,000. Why do you review cars like this in a workingclass newspaper? We want reviews on cars we can afford. The electric Audi is a glorified EV handbag for a rich man’s wife to show off at an expensive lunch.
Paul Williams, email
With what tradies have been charging me for house repairs these past few years, trust me, some “working class” people can well afford “EV handbags”. It’s a pricey car, but still fascinating to read about as a car enthusiast, surely?
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
I’m confused about what SUV actually means? When they first came out my understanding was it stood for “Special Use Vehicle”. It seems nearly every brand has numerous SUVS in different sizes and petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric. Surely they can’t all be “Special Use”? Kevin Bowman
SUV actually stands for Sport Utility Vehicle and is a very loose catch-all term. The titchy Suzuki Ignis and Hyundai Venue are classed SUVS, but neither are vaguely sporty or utilitarian. Basically, if you’ve got a bit higher ride height or ground clearance than a normal passenger car, it’s classified an SUV. No off-road ability is required to join the SUV club. They’re ubiquitous because it’s what the market demands. In 2021 SUVS captured 50.6 per cent market share, while traditional passenger cars managed only 21.1 per cent.
FIT FOR PURPOSE
I was stunned by the suggestions given to the Toyota Hilux SR5 owner seeking something more comfortable and economical. If his camper trailer weighs 1800kg unloaded, loaded it could carry an extra 300kg and the ball mass could be a tenth of the total – 200kg or so. That’s well beyond the capability of all the cars you suggested. You also must consider the weight of fuel, passengers and equipment going into the car. I’d suggest he look at an Isuzu MU-X or Jeep diesel instead. It may be nice to change to an EV or hybrid but with a car pulling its maximum weight how long does anyone think that car will last before its engine or transmission fails?
Warren Charlton, email
The owner assured us any additional weight going in the trailer would be a maximum of 20kg. All our suggestions (Toyota Kluger Hybrid, Subaru
Outback, VW Passat Alltrack, Skoda Kodiaq) have a towing capacity of 2000kg. The Toyota and Subaru have 200kg tow ball download limits and we warned about lower ratings for the Volkswagen and Skoda. Nothing there is “well beyond capability” – car companies build in buffers. As with all things towing, it’s a minefield of weights and measures and drivers must ensure their setups are safe and legal. The owner insisted they weren’t interested in a diesel, so they weren’t an option in this case.
PLUGGING AWAY
Re: Jimmy Joe’s letter, based on current $1.90 fuel prices his Toyota Yaris Cross costs 14c per km to run and his VW Polo 23c per km. I’ve just bought a Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross plug-in hybrid and it’s cost me 6.4c per km based on 25c per kwh for the electricity used to recharge it. After 2000km I’ve only purchased 30 litres of petrol. It has an all-electric range of 55km and can recharge in about five hours. Bob Wherrett, email
Plug-in hybrids (PHEVS) can be a sound choice if you typically make short journeys. You can complete the commute emissions-free and have the back up of a petrol engine when you need to travel further. They have limitations – they’re much pricier than a normal combustion car and, unlike an electric car, you still have a petrol engine to service, repair and lug around. For some, like you, they can prove an ideal fit.
DISAPPEARING DIGITS
Our new Mazda CX-5 has a head-up display on the windscreen showing the speed limit and current speed. But if we wear polarised sunglasses we can’t see it. Turning up the brightness barely helps. Our old CX-5 had a pop-up Perspex screen that worked fine.
R and L Roberts, email
Head-up displays (HUDS) and polarised glasses aren’t a happy mix. Due to the glasses’ very nature, they filter out glare, essentially what your HUD is. Potential solutions include tilting your head (not ideal) or buying a pair of non-polarised driving sunglasses (I’ve done this). 3M offers a film to mitigate the problem. I’ve not tested it but some suffering similarly have reported it improves things a great deal.