You can now buy a Corolla Cross with a hybrid engine, more than 18 months after the original Cross went on sale, and getting on for a year after Toyota first showed the hybrid variant in North America.
There’s a significant premium to pay for the new hybrid powertrain, which is offered alongside the existing combustion variety, but we suspect plenty of people in the market for a Cross will take a look at the improvements in performance and efficiency and consider it worth paying.
Let’s deal with the premium first. The hybrid’s three trim grades are called S, SE, and XSE, whereas the straight ICE crossover’s lineup goes L, LE, and XLE, and while all of the hybrids are AWD, the ICE cars are available with either front- or all-wheel drive. But comparing the base all-paw hybrid, the $29,305 S, with the base all-wheel-drive non-hybrid, the $24,395 L, reveals a $3,610 premium for the electrified Corolla Cross. Move up to the top trim in each and the difference falls to $2,600.
Driven: 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross Builds On Sedan’s Legacy Of Affordability And Refinement
S and SE models come with 17-inch wheels, smart key access, LED lamps, and an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while the mid-spec $30,625 SE adds privacy glass and roof rails to that list to justify its $1,320 increase over the S. Splash out on the $32,400 XSE and you get an upgrade to 18-inch wheels, power adjustment for the driver’s seat and heating for both front chairs.
Both hybrid and non-hybrid models are powered by a 2.0-liter inline-four, but what those extra dollars buy is a non-PHEV electric boost from 169 hp (171 PS) to 196 hp (199 PS) that helps drop the zero to 60 mph (97 km/h) time from 9.3 seconds to a more palatable 8 seconds. More impressive though, are the improvements to the Fuel efficiency numbers. The non-hybrid AWD Cross is rated at 30 mpg by the EPA, while the electrified version sips its gas to the tune of 42 mpg.
