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Appearance - 7/10
7/10
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Efficiency - 9/10
9/10
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Features - 7/10
7/10
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Materials - 8.5/10
8.5/10
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Performance - 8/10
8/10
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User Experience (UX) - 7/10
7/10
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Value - 7.5/10
7.5/10
Summary
The Corolla Cross Hybrid is a spacious and comfortable SUV for your everyday drive, and it’s fuel efficient to boot. While the drawbacks themselves aren’t a dealbreaker, I would personally wait for a refresh before instead of buying what they have now for an overall better experience. It’s a great car for city driving, but I feel like it’s only worth considering its current iteration if you can get an excellent deal on it, especially given its starting price of RM143,000.
Overall
7.7/10Pros
+ Spacious
+ Looks good from the outside
+ Spacious luggage with built-in tonneau cover
+ Apple Carplay and Android Auto support
+ Drives quietly and comfortably
+ Good road visibility because height
+ Strong brakes
+ Dual-zone climate with rear air vents
+ Excellent fuel economy
+ Reasonable maintenance cost for a car of this size
Cons
– Bland interior design
– Can get noisy as you go fast
– Rear seats not ideal for long legs
– Foot pedal
– Speakers are severely lacking in bass
– Wind from air conditioner could be stronger
– Awkward USB port location for multimedia use


Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Specifications
Engine | |
Drivetrain | Front Wheel Drive (FWD) |
Type | 4-cylinder, In-line, 16-Valve DOHC with VVT-i |
Displacement | 1,798 cc |
Bore x Stroke | 80.5 x 88.3 mm |
Maximum Output | 72 kW (98 PS) / 5,200 RPM |
Maximum Torque | 142 Nm / 3,600 RPM |
Top Speed | 170 km/h |
Motor Generator | |
Type | Synchronous Motor with Permanent Magnet |
Maximum Voltage | 600 V |
Maximum Output | 53 kW |
Maximum Torque | 163 Nm |
Hybrid Electric Battery | |
Type | Nickel Metal Hydride Battery |
Voltage | 201.6 V |
Battery Capacity (3HR) | 6.5 Ahr |
Transmission | |
Type | E-CVT |
Chassis | |
Suspension (Front / Rear) | MacPherson Strut with Stabiliser / Torsion Beam with Stabiliser |
Brakes (Front / Rear) | Ventilated Disc / Solid Disc |
Tyres & Rims | 225/50 R18, Alloy |
Spare Tyre & Rim | Temporary Spare Tyre (T155/70D17) |
Steering | Electric Power Steering |
Dimensions | |
Length / Width / Height | 4,460 / 1,825 / 1,620 mm |
Wheelbase | 2,640 mm |
Minimum Running Ground Clearance | 161 mm |
Luggage Space | 440 L |
Kerb Weight | 1,430 kg |
Fuel Tank Capacity | 36 L |
Minimum Turning Radius | 5.2 m |
Exterior Features | |
Headlamps (Type) | Bi-LED (Blue Accents) |
Headlamps (Daytime Running Lights) | LED with Light Curtain |
Headlamps (Follow-me-home function) | With |
Headlamps (Levelling) | Manual |
Front & Rear Fog Lamps | LED |
Front Wipers | Automatic with Rain Sensor |
Front Windshield Glass | Acoustic Type |
Rear Lamps | LED with Light Curtain |
Radiator Grille | Gun Metallic Paint Grille |
Door Window Frame | Chrome |
Wing Mirrors | Power Adjustable, Auto Fold with Reverse Link, Signal Lamps & Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) |
Antenna with Shark Fin Design | With |
Power Back Door | With Kick Sensor |
Roof Rails | With |
Interior Features | |
Interior Colour & Trim | Black |
Smart Entry & Start System | With |
Drive Mode | SPORT / ECO / NORMAL / EV |
Multi-Information Display (MID) | 7″ Colour TFT |
Air Conditioning | Automatic Dual-zone Climate Control |
Steering Wheel (Type) | 3-spoke Leather with Tilt & Telescopic Adjustable |
Steering Wheel (Switches) | Audio, MID, Telephone, Adaptive Cruise Control & Lane Tracing Assist |
Illumination System | With (Front Door, Cup Holder & Centre Tray) |
Gear Shift Lever | Leather |
Digital Video Recorder (DVR) – Front | With |
Inside Rear View Mirror | Electrochromic Mirror |
3D Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) | With |
Audio (Type) | Display Audio with 9″ Capacitive Touch Screen, Apple CarPlay® & Android Auto™-ready Connectivity, Miracast, USB & Bluetooth® |
Audio (Speakers) | 6 |
Seats Material | Black Leather |
Front Seat (Driver Seat) | 8-way with Power Adjustable |
Front Seat (Front Passenger Seat) | Manual Adjust |
Front Seat (Front Armrest) | With Sliding Armrest |
Front Seat (Front Cup Holders) | With |
Rear Seat (Type) | 60:40 Split Foldable |
Rear Seat with 6-degree Recline Angle | With |
Rear Seat (Rear Armrest) | With Cup Holders |
Rear Air Ventilation | With |
Power Windows | Front and Rear with Auto Up/Down & Jam Protection |
Portable Tyre Pump | With |
Luggage Tray | With |
Tonneau Cover | With Roll-up Type |
Parking Brake | Foot Pedal Type |
Carpet Mat | With Hybrid Blue Accents |
Safety – Active | |
Pre-Collision System (PCS) | With |
Lane Departure Alert (LDA) with Steering Assist | With |
Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC) | With (All Speed) |
Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) | With (All Speed) |
Automatic High Beam (AHB) | With |
Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) & Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) | With |
Tyre Pressure Warning System (TPWS) | With |
Parking Sensors | With (Front x2 & Rear x4) |
Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRC) | With |
Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), Emergency Brake Signal (EBS) | With |
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) | With Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA) |
Hybrid Regenerative Braking | With |
Safety – Passive | |
SRS Airbags | 7 Airbags (Fronts, Front Sides, Curtains & Driver Knee) |
Seatbelts (Warning) | Driver & Front Passenger only |
Seatbelts (Front) | 3-point ELR x2 with Pretensioner and Force Limiter |
Seatbelts (Rear) | 3-point ELR x3 |
ISOFIX | With (Rear Only) |
Security | |
Security System | 2 Remote Control Units, Immobiliser, Speed Auto Door Lock |
Toyota Premium Security & Solar Film | With |
Vehicle Telematics System (VTS) | Connectivity with Mobile Apps |
Optional | |
Digital Video Recorder (DVR) – Rear | Optional |
Wireless Charger | Optional |
Fuel Consumption

We drove the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid for 9 days, accumulating a mileage of 355.9km according to the odometer. We also used up 21.14 litres of fuel, which translates to a fuel consumption figure of about 16.84km/l (5.94l/100km). The drive consists of about 65% city drive and 35% highway, with me being mostly on Normal and ECO modes, with Sport mode being used sparingly.
While this is still some ways ahead of 23.3km/l / 4.3l/100km figure, it’s worth noting that for a couple of days, I was stuck in heavy traffic from PJ to KL which took me roughly 90 minutes to drive, and that would have really affected its fuel consumption. While I believe it’s hard to reach figures of 20km/l, anything close to that as well as what we managed to achieve is already impressive as is given my driving situation, and I know it can get better if my driving conditions were a bit more ideal since I typically avoid rush hour traffic.
In short, the fuel economy in this car is great but how low it can go will obviously be heavily dependent on the traffic conditions you go through. To draw a comparison with a car I drive often, the Perodua Ativa AV at its best is this Corolla Cross Hybrid at its worst.
Maintenance Cost

A major part about ownership cost isn’t paying directly for the car itself but caring for it. Given that this is a 1.8L Hybrid SUV, you might think that the maintenance cost would be pricey but it’s actually not bad. Assuming there are no major repairs or surprise part replacements needed, this is what you’re looking at over the course of 5 years:
Compulsory 1st Service | RM185 |
Compulsory 2nd Service | RM155 |
8 x Maxcheck Advance | RM2,624 |
2 x Maxcheck Advance Plus (Major Service) | RM1,076 |
Grand Total | RM4,040 |
Do note that for the following 5 years, the cost will be higher as you will need to take into account extra parts / materials that need to be changed, such as iridium spark plugs, super long life coolants, and ATF Fluid. Customers can also opt for their 5-year Toyota Service Savers package, which will will include all the services mentioned above and discounts (20% off for alignment, balancing, and air conditioning packages, 10% off for selected parts) for just RM3,890. These are quite reasonable figures for a car of this size.
Check out our Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max review by clicking right here.
The Good

There are a number of reasons to consider getting the Corolla Cross Hybrid. For starters, it’s quite a spacious car, making it ideal for smaller families, newlyweds, and bachelors for their daily drive. It’s meant to go head-to-head with the HR-V Hybrid, and it’s bigger than that by 75 x 35 x 30 mm (L x W x D), with even the wheelbase 30mm longer, making for a more comfortable ride. More importantly, you can definitely feel the added dimensions when you sit inside as it fits 5 people with ease, and 4 rather luxuriously.
While this may be subjective, it looks quite pleasing from the outside. The front grills give it a more aggressive look while the overall shape makes it look rather beefy. It’s designed to complement the TNGA platform its built on, with the idea here to provide enhanced stability, agility, comfort, and a higher eye-point for better visibility. If you’re not a fan of the grills, we’re likely going to see a change there with a refresh, based on pictures of newer versions seen in other countries, but it’s not a guarantee.

As this is a standard 5-seated as opposed to being like an MPV-style with 7 or 8 seats, you get quite a spacious luggage space in the rear. To be precise, it’s 440 litres of space but if that’s not enough or you need to carry around longer furniture, the rear seats can be folded for even more space. Moreover, it even has a built-in tonneau cover which can be conveniently slid in and out if you need to hide stuff from prying eyes.

Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid – Apple CarPlay
One major thing I like, and this should be standard for cars in this day and age is support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In this day and age, no one really bothers listen to the radio and our smartphones are jam packed with mobile data so most of us would rather listen to our own music or podcasts. More importantly, we get to use and see our preferred navigation apps on the infotainment system, making it easier to reach your destination no matter how unfamiliar the journey is for you.
Generally, the Corolla Cross Hybrid drives comfortably and quietly. It’s not designed for people who crave high speeds, though it can theoretically go up to 170km/h, but it’s meant for people who prefers to enjoy the ride rather than reaching their destination as fast as possible. When it first powers on, it’s dead silent as it uses the EV motors rather than the conventional combustion engine, and it seamlessly switches between the two as you drive without the need for any additional input. Just drive like you would any normal car. Wind noise is also minimal inside the cabin. The higher viewpoint further adds to the driving comfort as you have better road visibility here.
There were a couple of occasions where the car in front of me came to a sudden stop, which surprised me at the time but thankfully, the Corolla Cross Hybrid had quite strong brakes and I managed to easily stop in time. Granted it was at speeds of 60-70 km/h but given the short distance with the front car, it was pretty good and I feel quite safe in it, provided I am aware of my surroundings and not distracted by anything else.

Lastly, the Corolla Cross Hybrid comes with dual-zone climate control. This is especially useful when you always have a passenger with you as you might prefer a different temperature than them. No longer will you have to worry about being too warm or too cold since each side can pick their preferred temperatures, and it works great so far.
The Bad



Of course, there are a number of drawbacks to consider as well. For starters, the interior design is rather bland. While I praised the external design, the interior looks dull with not much going on. From a car that costs almost RM150K, you’d expect more gadgets and, more importantly, more storage compartments around. Most of the time, I end up putting my wallet and payment cards in the middle cupholder, which I’m fine with but that makes me want to have a built-in cupholder in front of the air vents for both driver and passenger seats. Putting it in the storage compartment below the air conditioner controls often results in it sliding out at some point, with only smartphones not having that issue.
While the Corolla Cross Hybrid typically drives in a quieter fashion, it’s a different story if you have the need for speed as the engine noise really starts to fill in the cabin as you drive past 120km/h. If you’re only driving fast in moments of overtaking cars in front of you, then it’s not a problem but if you need to be constantly fast like when you’re on a long journey to another state, the noise can get annoying. It’s definitely better for city drives rather than long-distance highway drives.


As I’ve mentioned before, the Corolla Cross Hybrid is quite a spacious car but if you have multiple tall people riding it, it might pose a bit of an issue. I am about 186cm tall with rather long legs so when I’m driving, I have the seats all the way to the back and if someone with a similar build were to sit behind me, leg space would be akin to economy seats on a cheap airline. If the driver is willing to push their seat to some extent, it will be fine since width is definitely far from an issue, even with 3 people sitting in the back (provided all 3 are not giants).
While the dual-zone climate control system is great, I feel like air conditioner’s wind is on the weaker side. Even at max speed, it feels like there’s more noise than there is wind pressure. It would be nicer if they could make the winds stronger but on the upside, the car surprisingly cools down quite well. The rear air vents could play a role in it as well since a lack of it would result in the rear passengers being in severe discomfort given the lack of wind pressure and our insanely hot climate.

One major thing I dislike about this hybrid SUV is the use of the foot brake. I’m in favor of not using a handbrake as it frees up space for additional storage compartments but a foot brake also ends up taking up space for your legs. In fact, it will take up some space away from the footrest when pressed down, which isn’t ideal. It also doesn’t feel quite intuitive to press down when in traffic lights or a jam so you’re likely stuck holding down the brake until it’s time to move again, which can be tiring.
While I loved the fact that the infotainment system in the Corolla Cross Hybrid comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the speakers aren’t something I’m a fan of. The mids and highs are decent but the severe lack of bass makes it sound more like laptop speakers, albeit louder. If you’re just listening to music for the sake of listening, it’s fine but if you want a bit more enjoyment, you should consider a subwoofer upgrade for this.

Lastly, I’m not a fan of the main USB port’s location. It’s located on the headunit itself, which makes it look like an aftermarket one rather than something that came straight from Toyota. Furthermore, this location also makes it look rather messy as you’ll have your cable practically all over the gear shifter, which is quite the eyesore. It also doesn’t help that the USB connection seems a bit unstable as it randomly disconnects at times, and wireless Apple CarPlay isn’t available in this model. Having it below the air conditioner controls, away from the headunit itself, would be much cleaner in comparison.
Corolla Cross Hybrid Verdict

The Corolla Cross Hybrid is a spacious and comfortable SUV for your everyday drive, and it’s fuel efficient to boot. While the drawbacks themselves aren’t a dealbreaker, I would personally wait for a refresh before instead of buying what they have now for an overall better experience. It’s a great car for city driving, but I feel like it’s only worth considering its current iteration if you can get an excellent deal on it, especially given its starting price of RM143,000.
At the end of our Corolla Cross Hybrid review, I award this car with our Silver Pokdeward.

Big thanks to Toyota Malaysia for sending us this car for the purpose of this review.