Toyota puts a sporty badge on its compact crossover and inadvertently makes the best iteration yet.
I recently spent some time with a new edition of the Toyota Corolla Cross. Specifically, it’s the one wearing the GR Sport badge and it is exactly what you think it is – a Corolla Cross (big fan) with a Gazoo Racing styling pack plus suspension and steering (EPS) upgrade. Under the hood lives Toyota’s prolific 1.8l four-pot with 103kW and 172Nm paired to a CVT box and it returns a modest 6.8l/100km. But you’re more interested in the visuals – ie black mirrors, roof, roof rails and grille. Then at the back it’s been similarly augmented with a blackened tailgate, spoiler trim and diffuser.
Obviously, the 18″ inch hoops are black too in contrast to the body paint – which in Gazoo fashion is either red, metallic grey or white. And then there’s the cabin featuring a GR Push Start button, black leather plus red stitching and trim. As for the rest of the spec, the GR is identical to XR flagship trim, so quite high and still super affordable in my opinion, at R453,200.
LET’S THINK ABOUT THAT
At around R450k, there’s not much that can touch the new flagship Corolla SUV. With pricing that makes it super competitive even amongst the onslaught of handsome machinery from China, bulletproof build quality, and a mostly excellent after-sales experience. Add to this the incredible resale value of a Corolla product, and the fact that the Cross looks great, goes well, and in GR-Sport guise handles and rides better than ever. The new setup proved firmer around the bends along my test route, but still supple on the highway. I genuinely think it looks the best in its class, which is quite a revelation for the Japanese brand once approved of making boring-looking cars.
It remains at the top of my list of recommendations in 2022, and if you’re in the market for a well-balanced family car, you should consider it. Fiercely.
