Jun. 23—You may not be familiar with Toyota Corolla’s Cross compact SUV and its Hybrid version, but you will appreciate its styling, compliant ride and Prius-like fuel economy. The Cross debuted in 2022 as a gas engine only. It added the hybrid in 2023 and carried over this year with no appreciable changes. It is fully assembled in Huntsville, Alabama.
Slotted below the RAV4, the Cross is available in three trim levels: S, SE and XSE with base prices in the upper $20s to mid $30s. Our XSE tester was decked out with Toyota’s Safety Sense 3.0 — standard equipment including pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, radar cruise with stop/start, lane departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beams, road sign and lane tracing assists, blind spot monitors and rear cross traffic alert.
Toyota debuted the Prius 24 years ago and has been a leader in evolving hybrid technology since. The Cross has 196 horsepower from a 2.0-liter gas engine, two electric motors and a continuously variable transmission. The first motor adds front wheel thrust along with the gas engine while the second adds all-wheel drive to the rear wheels.
At our independent test track, the Cross, in Sport Mode, hit the 60-mile-per-hour mark in 7.7 seconds, much quicker than the gasoline only version. The Hybrid will tow a small boat up to 1,500 pounds. Our two-tone yellow/gold paint job with black trim added $500 to the sticker. With 18-inch alloy wheels, the Cross maintains a sporty look.
It seats five — four adults comfortably. Faux leather is standard on the XSE with fabric upholstery standard on the lesser trims. Multi adjustable driver’s seat positions will accommodate most while manual adjustments are available for front passenger.
Top rivals include the Honda HR-V and Hyundai Kona.
For such a small crossover, we were impressed with the ride. Steering was precise, brakes strong and it maintains composure under acceleration. It’s best on city streets and alleyways, where it achieves 45 miles per gallon.
Highway travel is not so robust, though, and we found it best to stay in the right lane and plan for any passing attempt. Road noise did enter the cabin as is the case with most small wheelbase vehicles.
Interior treatment on the XSE rivals some expensive models. An eight-inch diagonal infotainment screen displayed base functions. Voice activated controls are a nice touch.
Our tester included an available JBL sound system with nine speakers, subwoofer and amplifier controlled with a volume knob. Climate functions are easy to use with lighted buttons for easy access.
Temperature and fan speed are controlled with separate dials. If you want navigation and are not a fan of Android Auto or Apple CarPlay use, there is a subscription service for streaming audio and live navigation for $50 monthly. Another $25 subscription will provide Wi-Fi.
The Cross takes its styling cues from higher-end SUVs, adding LED head and taillights with on/off LED fog lamps, smoked emblem sport grille and black badges front and rear.
Contact independent automotive columnist Len Ingrassia at editor@ptd.net.
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