The Toyota Corolla CROSS SUV that has been under development for a while was unveiled at an event in Thailand and sales have begun
Toyota has just expanded its lineup of Corolla cars with the debut of the all-new Corolla CROSS. The compact SUV was unveiled at an event in Thailand and sales have also begun.
The SUV has been under development for a while and with Thailand government relaxing restrictions caused due to the coronavirus pandemic, the company was able to make the launch.
The Corolla CROSS is a compact SUV designed under the tagline ‘Corolla meets SUV’. Michinobu Sugata, President of Toyota Motor Thailand Company, said: “With the tag-line of ‘A New Journey’, the All-New Corolla CROSS is developed under the concept of ‘Compact yet Comfortable’ and ‘Dignity Urban Vogue’. This is a new product in the new category which Toyota has never had before in the SUV segment.”
The SUV is built on the Toyota New Global Architecture coupled with the safety features from the company’s Toyota Safety sense. With this, Toyota also said the suspension has been enhanced for a smoother ride all the while being better balanced in corners as well as while driving straight.
The Corolla CROSS gets two engine options - 1.8-litre petrol and a 1.8-litre fourth-generation hybrid. The inline-four petrol-only engine develops 98 PS of power and is mated to a 7-speed CVT-I transmission with sequential shift and shit lock. The hybrid, on the other hand, has been developed for better endurance, performance and fuel economy. The company claims the hybrid offers a 23.3 km/l mileage over the petrol variant’s 15.4 km/l.
The Toyota Corolla series of cars has been a hit with the people ever since its launch back in 1966. About 48 million units from this series have been sold globally and the company wants to bring out that feeling even in the SUV.
The Toyota Corolla CROSS has been launched in the Thailand market with sales already beginning. The first car is set to roll out on July 13. The company also said the Corolla CROSS compact SUV will be exported to a growing number of markets from Thailand.