2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid First Drive review: Frugal over fun

growth segment A small SUV we call a “mid-compact” We cover all kinds of niches: outdoor adventures, sporty driving, family friendly.With one imperfect exception that I’ll discuss later, there are no proper hybrid-powered entries yet. 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid.

As the name suggests, it is based on rather unobtrusive 2023 Corolla Cross It doesn’t satisfy a niche more than trying to woo people who have a positive relationship with a particular person. toyota corollaYou can profit from having your own and crushing your competitors fuel consumption That’s all. EPA estimated fuel economy is 45 mpg city, 38 mpg highway, 42 mpg combined. This is up from a total estimate of 30 mpg for the normal all-wheel-drive cross, which he had already tied with a 2.0-liter. subaru crosstrek Class Leading – Most competitors are certainly only 1-2 mpg behind.according to EPA For fuel cost estimates, choosing a cross-hybrid saves you about $500 each year.

It also provides a significant performance boost, at least compared to regular Cross.Comes with a cross hybrid Toyotathe fifth generation of hybrid power train too Impressive 2023 Toyota PriusSpecifically, an all-wheel drive version that adds a third motor to power the rear axle.like all wheel drive Prius, the total system output is 196 hp, up from 169 hp for the gas-only cross.that is corolla cross One of the slowest vehicles in the segment, the cross hybrid is one of the faster.

Of course, “fast” doesn’t mean really fast.Turbocharged if you want it Kia Sertos again Mazda CX-30 is the way to go. But it certainly Honda HR-V or 2.0 liters crosstrek, and the acceleration is sufficient for the segment. It also benefits from the application of an additional electric motor in an improved fifth-generation hybrid system and smoother gas engine engagement.

Unfortunately, the engine engagement may be smoother than Toyota hybrids of the past, but the ubiquitous drones are still there every time you roll back the throttle and they get old quickly. Not so with the new Prius, the sound seems to be buried deep in the engine room. That was one of the reasons the new Prius was so impressive. We suspected the Corolla Cross would have less noise dampening, but the Prius’s chief engineer, Satoki Oya, said the difference in noise was added to an otherwise comparable Prius engine. of balancing shafts, resulting in reduced noise and vibration.The Corolla Cross is actually more Silencing to remove some particularly objectionable frequencies, but clearly not enough to compensate completely.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid is only available in SE and XSE, traditionally considered sporty Toyota trim levels, and the new S base trim level pictured above. These are not available in regular Cross. Sport-tuned suspension is the only mechanical upgrade that comes with these trims, other than performance upgrades. I’ve certainly never driven a standard Corolla Cross, so I can’t comment on the differences, but “sport tune” is a relative term. The hybrid doesn’t roam, but it’s far from “sporty.” The lackluster response from the steering certainly doesn’t help, but at least putting the car in Sport mode adds a bit of extra weight.

Most buyers will ignore these criticisms of the lukewarm dynamics and happily accept the enormous fuel economy figures and perfectly competent control response. A simple and easy-to-drive commuter car. It doesn’t even have a weird gear selector like the Prius or most other Toyota he hybrids.

S/SE/XSE trims offer the usual visual upgrades in addition to hybrid-specific enhancements. Chief among them is the new face, which you can see below to see how it differs from the green normal cross on the right. It’s adorned with black trim and has a button nose-like protrusion that sticks out between the headlights. Toyota’s badging is strangely finished in black to match the SE’s all-black badging rather than the typical blue badging found on other Toyota hybrids. the cross hybrid RAV4especially with a black contrast roof available as a $500 standalone option on the SE and XSE.

At the rear, the differences are effectively limited to the glossy black trim on the lower bumper instead of the usual matte black plastic accented by body-coloured trim panels. A ‘roof rail’ is included on the SE and XSE, but is actually an elevated trim piece to which a fixed crossbar is bolted. A unique wheel design, available in 17″ (S and SE) and 18″ sizes, and gold “Acidic Blast” paint are also available. colour As you can see, it’s hybrid-only.

The interior is carried over from the Corolla Cross, except for its own upholstery. Black fabric with gray accents is a must on the S (top two bottom pics), and on the SE he’s one of two options in addition to the black/blue combination. The XSE (pictured above) has his SoftTex vinyl upholstery in all black or black with blue accents.

All 2023 Corolla Crosses will be equipped with Toyota’s latest infotainment system. This makes it more responsive and looks more modern (yay), but removes his user-friendly physical menu button (boo). The screen is still 8 inches and seems a bit small. The XSE has a digital instrument panel, which is becoming an increasingly standard issue in this segment. The fact becomes clear when you enter the S or SE and are confronted with a simple Jane analogue gauge that doesn’t even have the usual Toyota hybrid power meter. There are octopuses that either stop or crash to zero when only the electric motor is powering the car.

These instruments show the cabin Universal Lacks the panache of most competitors – especially nice New HR-V Cabin and tech packed 2023 Kia NiroOh, it’s just another hybrid that exists now. in this segment After a significant growth in the 2023 overhaul. An imperfect comparison, but still harsh for a cross-hybrid.of Nilo It’s slow, even though it doesn’t offer all-wheel drive, which is the only way to get a Corolla Cross hybrid, and relies on a conventional automatic transmission to help avoid the Cross’ drone problems. It’s also not very high off the ground (the cross hybrid has 8 inches of ground clearance) and doesn’t look like an SUV overall. Nonetheless, the Niro drives sharper and hits a combined 53 mpg.That’s not it As It may seem like a significant improvement in gas mileage, but it should still be worth hundreds of dollars a year.

small one Kia In the Corolla Cross, full-size adults sitting in front and back can cause their knees to graze the dash and front seats respectively. cargo Space on paper looks like a few cubic feet difference in the Corolla Cross (the hybrid is the same 21.5 cubic feet as the AWD regular Corolla Cross), but in reality the Kia has more functional space. I have. Neither has a spare tire. The chunky wiring harness needed for the extra rear motor meanders through the area where a normal Cross’ spare should be, leaving a vast, useless chasm filled with gray foam.

Prices are similar between the two. The Kia is low at first, but it should be higher because it can use more equipment. The cross hybrid starts at $29,305 for the S. The fare to destination is $1,335. SE goes up to $30,625. XSE at $32,400. These estimates are about $4,000 more than comparable regular Corolla Cross trim levels. That’s way more than you’ll get back in fuel savings alone, but you get so much more thanks to the extra performance, style enhancements, and perhaps a slightly more engaging driving experience.

There’s also the issue that the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is generally a more competitive vehicle, or at least able to stand out in a field densely packed with interesting and well-rounded players. I have. As with the standard all-wheel drive system, its high fuel consumption is a big deal. Nothing else offers this combination for that price and size.putting snow tires Do you prefer Niro? perhaps.how about paying a little more RAV4 Hybrid Does it start at around $31,000? yeah, probably. So not exactly a ringing endorsement. But hey, that Acidic Blast paint and black roof looks pretty cool.

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