Psst: Toyota Has a Big Surprise for First-Time Buyers

Here at Performance Toyota, your PA Toyota dealer, we have a secret. It’s good news, too, because one of Toyota’s most beloved nameplates just received a new addition to its already robust lineup of offerings. In fairness, it’s technically a brand new model of its own, but it shares familiar nomenclature that invites a closer look. Introducing the all-new 2022 Corolla Cross, and no, it’s not a sedan or a hatchback: it’s a crossover.

Why bridge into a new category with a classic name? Toyota intends to capture the hearts of entry-level subcompact buyers who just aren’t feeling the sedan body style but for whom graduating into an SUV-like alternative wasn’t financially possible. The Corolla Cross is designed for the new grads and first-time buyers seeking a little style and utility to go along with a low monthly payment.

If that doesn’t sound like you, don’t dismiss the Corolla Cross quite yet. It’s also infused with tons of next-generation technology, both infotainment and safety-oriented, as well as a trim lineup that edges into near-luxury levels, so building a Corolla Cross with premium features is possible. Toyota even offers all-wheel drive for added peace of mind on wet or wintry days.

Discover Corolla Cross: Design and Styling

The Corolla name is half a century old, but year after year, Toyota manages to reinvent and reimagine the popular sedan. Lending the name to its most current crossover is marketing genius because the Corolla stands for value, durability, and quality – three of the pillars of Toyota’s engineering philosophy. The best-selling Corolla continues to win vast amounts of market share, and Toyota expects the same results for the new Corolla Cross.

One reason the Corolla Cross is destined for popularity is its clean, sporty exterior styling. It’s modern without taking edginess too far but also possesses a family resemblance to its larger Toyota SUV siblings, like the Highlander. Toyota designed the Corolla Cross with a higher sightline, which is one of the main reasons buyers lean toward buying an SUV in the first place.

Ample use of LED lighting modernizes the front and rear, and the black grille prominently displays the Toyota emblem. In the rear, a high-mounted integrated spoiler adds a sporty touch, and Toyota lets buyers choose between 17 or 18-inch wheels, depending on the trim. The interior continues the modern theme, with plenty of in-dash tech and a swath of available comfort and convenience features.

Features like ambient lighting and an available power moonroof notch up the luxury quotient for buyers inclined toward a few extra bells and whistles, but even without these niceties, the Corolla Cross exhibits sophisticated styling both inside and out, with enough upscale equipment to satisfy base model buyers.

If you’re leaning toward a crossover, you’re probably interested in the added cargo and passenger space not found on a sedan or hatchback. The Corolla Cross offers a spacious interior cabin with seating for 5 and plenty of cargo capacity for groceries or luggage. The standard 60/40 split-folding seat makes stowing cargo and carrying a back seat passenger (or two) easy.

Performance and Safety

Yes, performance and efficiency can coexist, and the 2022 Corolla Cross exemplifies this, with a 169 horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and an estimated average fuel economy rating of 32 MPG. It’s rumored that Toyota will add a hybrid powertrain at some point, but for now, the Corolla Cross in its gas-powered form does just fine on fuel economy, which will keep ownership costs low. After all, as the second smallest SUV in the lineup, the Corolla Cross is built for efficiency.

Toyota Safety Sense, the company’s suite of driver-assist safety systems, is standard on every Corolla Cross, adding additional protection against unforeseen driving hazards. Driver-assist technologies work via strategically placed sensors, radar, and cameras. Together, these components continuously monitor the area in front of beside and behind the vehicle, alerting the driver to potential issues.

Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection works by monitoring the front of the vehicle while traveling. If it senses the traffic ahead has slowed down (or stopped), and your vehicle hasn’t adjusted its speed, the system will send an audible alert and, if necessary, apply additional braking assistance to avoid a collision. It’s sensitive enough to sense a pedestrian entering your direction of travel, too, performing the same braking task if necessary.

Lane Departure Warning is an especially helpful highway aid. It senses when your Corolla Cross drifts out of its lane, which is not an uncommon occurrence during long, boring highway travel. If you drift, the system alerts you and provides gentle steering nudges that you can feel beneath your hands, reminding you to center the vehicle back in its intended lane of travel. Lane Departure Warning also offers the unintended benefit of reminding us to signal when we change lanes. After all, that nudge is a correction, and if it happens frequently, we may begin to realize that we’ve gotten lax about using our turn signals.

That’s one bad driving habit, but what about tailgating? Toyota has a solution. Toyota Safety Sense includes Adaptive Cruise Control. This is no ordinary cruise control system; in fact, Adaptive Cruise Control sets not only speed but also distance from the vehicle ahead. Once you choose your preferred distance, set the cruise control feature and relax. The system’s radar will keep an invisible eye on the car ahead and automatically lower your vehicle’s speed when it senses the distance is closing. Once traffic loosens up, it will resume your chosen speed automatically.

Infotainment and Technology Features

With three trims to choose from – the L, LE, and XLE – Toyota lets buyers dial in the level of tech they want. On the entry end, Toyota provides a 7-inch touchscreen, and more expensive trims receive a larger 8-inch infotainment touchscreen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are standard in all trims, making smartphone integration a simple one-step process.

The LE and XLE Corolla Cross trims each receive a standard wireless device charger, and all vehicles contain USB chargers. Toyota knows that younger buyers especially value high-end entertainment and technology features, which is why the available JBL 9-speaker premium audio system is likely to be a popular choice. Amazon Alexa compatibility unlocks access to tons of entertainment content, as does the complementary three-month trial subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio.

As great as all the in-vehicle features are, what stands out are Toyota’s comprehensive connected services. Most automakers now feature robust subscription-based connectivity options, but they tend to taper down to the basics for less expensive vehicles. Not so for the Corolla Cross, which is expected to feature the full suite, including app-based conveniences, Toyota’s Safety Connect live operator service, and concierge support.

Maybe It’s Time for Something New

Slated just above the subcompact C-HR size and price-wise, the Corolla Cross takes its place in a gap in the lineup that wasn’t immediately obvious before Toyota’s announcement. Between the C-HR and the RAV4, it seemed buyers could find a good match, but as it turns out, the Corolla name lends credence to the addition of yet another crossover to the existing stacked nine vehicle lineup. In a way, the 2022 Corolla Cross bridges two categories and will likely draw in sedan/hatchback buyers in the hunt for a traditional Corolla as well as the mainstream subcompact SUV seekers it’s designed to attract. Either way, it should prove to be a winner.

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