The Corolla's biggest strength over the decades has been its ability to transport four adults and their things comfortably without costing a boatload of cash. We like the idea of having all-wheel drive to manage snow and low-grip scenarios, but even if you live somewhere perennially warm and sunny, you should opt for the AWD model purely because its suspension is better. The rear multi-link suspension is vastly superior to the torsion-beam arrangement on the front-drive model, exhibiting more rear-end composure over bumps and imperfections. More importantly, the ride on our all-wheel-drive test model was pleasant and well isolated. There's a lot of roll and very little feedback through either the chassis or the weightless steering, which we expect in this segment, but this Toyota isn't actively bad to throw into a corner. This is a pleasant vehicle to chuck about, with predictable body manners. In terms of handling prowess, the Corolla Cross is much closer to its rivals. While Toyota has refused to confirm it, a Corolla Cross Hybrid is a virtual certainty and it can't get here fast – pun intended – enough. The powertrain's malaise is all the more concerning considering the cars Toyota lists as competitors: the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Kona are two livelier options, with both offering turbocharged 1.6-liter engines with 175 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, while the Subaru Crosstrek added a new 2.5-liter engine that's good for 182 hp and 176 lb-ft. In the hills outside of Austin, Texas, where we drove the CC, though, the powertrain also struggled with even reasonable demands for more steam, such as while merging onto the highway. The Corolla Cross moves at the speed of continental drift, and even a modest incline will send the buzzy 2.0-liter screaming as the engine speed climbs into the stratosphere. The Corolla Cross moves at the speed of continental drift. But with the all-wheel-drive system adding anywhere from 280 to 380 pounds depending on trim, the four-cylinder, which already feels overwhelmed in the Corolla sedan, can't cope in this crossover. The 2.0-liter engine produces 169 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque regardless of which Corolla you buy. While the commonality between the Corolla Cross and its sedan sibling means current consumers will feel right at home going from one to the other, the downside is that Toyota's insistence on sticking to the script while adding a larger, heavier body and an available all-wheel-drive system has resulted in a car that as slow as a stoned sloth. More importantly, it's far less polarizing than the C-HR. Featuring a scowly fascia with an imposing grille, strong front and rear character lines that curve over the over the fenders, and a softly styled rear with pleasant taillights, the design of the Corolla Cross is as anonymous as any other Corolla, but it's also immediately identifiable as a Toyota CUV. In fact, the automaker deserves credit for pairing the interior with body styling that fits so naturally into the RAV4/ Highlander hierarchy. Give up? Slide all the way to the left to reveal the Corolla Cross' interior, which as you can see is almost a direct port from the sedan.ĭespite the strikingly similar cabins, Toyota wisely avoided taking the Corolla's exterior design language and applying it to a crossover. We won't waste words describing the dash – just play with the slider below and see if you can tell which cabin belongs to the sedan and which is from the Corolla Cross. The similarities abound in the cabin too. The suspension geometry is different by necessity (how else would you get 8.2 inches of ground clearance?), but the overall layout of a McPherson-strut type in front and a multi-link arrangement in the rear remains the same (unless you get a front-drive model, which has an inferior torsion-beam setup). It has the same naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine, while the shared continuously variable transmission has an identical ratio spread. Instead, the Corolla Cross rides atop the same modular TNGA-C platform as the Corolla. This is not some loose affiliation where an automaker slaps a badge on an unrelated product and says that even though it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it's actually a Mustang. A big part of that is because the Corolla Cross is, well, a Corolla.
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