WeeklySA_AdminPERFECT SENSE: The medium-size Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 HEV GR-Sport crossover SUV blends style and cleaner mobility in one compelling package making it an ideal everyday companion
By Ali Mphaki
There is bourbon and there is wine. There is cognac and there is brandy. They may be sharing similar properties but each according to its own.
In case you are drooling at the prospect of the grog mentioned and wondering where this is leading to, hold on because there is the latest Corolla Cross 1,8 GR-Sport (petrol) and there is the Corolla Cross 1,8 HEV GR Sport (hybrid electric vehicle).
The Corolla Cross 1.8 HEV GR-Sport – as the pinnacle of Toyota’s medium-size crossover SUV – is obviously pricey at R575 400 while the Corolla Cross 1,8 GR Sport petrol version retails at R527 000.
We recall a tad five years ago when the Corolla Cross HEV launched to an unsuspecting local motoring public- marking it as the first locally produced hybrid vehicle off the Prospecton Plant in eThekwini.
Proudly built locally for South Africa (and Africa) is how Toyota branded the newcomer.
Interesting to note that after half-a-decade on the block the original model though a bit dated is still look-able and desirable, though few will demur it was time the young lady went for some cosmetic surgery to keep up with the times.
Back from the saloon the locally-assembled and refreshed Corolla Cross HEV arrives with the same 1.8-litre hybrid system, this time wrapped in a GR-Sport package which we had the pleasure to sample recently.
Three paint options are on offer Arizona Red and Chromium Silver and ours was in a hue Toyota calls Glacier White – featuring a bold bi-tone finish with a contrasting black roof and black mirror caps.
Unmistakably a Corolla Cross, the newcomer styling is noticeably more evolutionary than radical, giving it a sharper look.
A unique GR-S front mesh grille finished in gloss black, sporty bumper elements and smoked lighting accents further distinguish the HEV GR-Sport model from the rest.
We liked the rear updated LED lamps, the new black model name badge and a distinct rear diffuser which conspire to give it that extra edge over its lesser siblings and a more striking visual look.
Shoe size is 18-inch alloy wheels featuring a machined-face finish.
Ingress via keyless entry and you are welcomed into a cabin which takes its styling cues from Gazoo Racing with leather-trimmed sports bucket seats with embossed GR headrest logos, eye-catching red seatbelts and contrasting red-cabin stitching.
A 10.1-inch central touchscreen infotainment display, a 12.3-inch digital driver display cluster, eye-catching red seatbelts and contrasting red-cabin stitching, aluminium sport pedals and steering wheel pedal shifters make up for what is comparatively an ordinary cabin.
Plenty leg and headroom for driver and front passenger, though rear passengers may feel a bit cramped. If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, the only way to enjoy the charms of the Corolla Cross 1,8 HEV GR-Sport is in its driving.
Switch the motor on through a smooth select-and-forget CVT transmission and enjoy the ride.
It may be clothed in GR-Sport paraphernalia but expect no boy-racer sprint as it goes about its work in what can be termed guarded urgency.
When you start the motor on a cold Gauteng morning it automatically switches to petrol mode whereas on a balmy morning starts proceedings via the battery mode thanks to its paired 1.8L petrol-engine with an electric motor for a combined 90kW.
Noticeable is increased noise when putting more metal to pedal but with a specially tuned suspension is agile enough and absorbs those humps with minimum fuss as it switches between petrol and electric power – depending on driving conditions
An added advantage and further bringing peace of mind is there is no plug required for charging, no range anxiety and no charging delays.
But what is more likely to bring a smile as wide as the Umgeni River is its average fuel consumption as low as 4.3L/100km.
With a growing awareness that electric and hybrid vehicles were cheaper to run than their petrol counterparts and offered with an 8-year/160 000 km warranty, it all bodes well for the Corolla Cross 1.8 HEV GR-Sport as brand Toyota forays into cleaner mobility.
It makes perfect sense.
