2023 Toyota Corolla Cross: Everything you need to know

UPDATE: 2023 Corolla Cross gains five-star ANCAP rating.

The 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross has been awarded a five-star safety rating by crash test authority ANCAP.

As well as getting the full five stars, the Corolla Cross has taken the crown as the highest scoring model in the area of vulnerable road user protection against the current 2020-2022 rating criteria with a score of 87 per cent.

'Good' scores were achieved in both the side impact and oblique pole tests, as well as across the majority of autonomous emergency braking, emergency lane keeping and lane keep assist test scenarios.

However, 'marginal' performance was recorded for the chest of the driver in the frontal offset test, and a penalty was applied for far side impact protection as Toyota did not provide the additional information required to demonstrate performance would provide similar levels of protection for occupants of difference sizes.

The five-star rating applies to all petrol and hybrid Corolla Cross variants.

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October 20: Corolla Cross lands in Australia

The much-anticipated 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross has officially landed in Australia for its local media launch.

We’ll have a full drive report live at 7pm on Thursday October 20, 2022.

Five variants are available from launch with price opening at $33,000 before on-road costs for base GX and running up to $49,250 for the flagship Atmos AWD hybrid.

The Corolla Cross is the first Toyota product sold in Australia to be fitted with the 146kW 2.0-litre self-charging hybrid powertrain and gets to 100km/h in as little as 7.5 seconds.

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This new small SUV also marks the debut of wireless Apple CarPlay for Toyota Australia (though Android Auto remains wired).

The similarly-sized C-HR will remain on sale here, and will become an in-house rival for the Corolla Cross that will also do battle with the Mazda CX-30, Honda HR-V, Kia Seltos, Subaru XV and Volkswagen T-Roc.

July 2022: US Corolla Cross driven

Ahead of its Australian debut in late 2022, our man Brian Makse has driven the Corolla Cross in its North American guise. Get the story at the link below.

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December 2021: 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross facelift revealed

Just one year after its global debut for the Japanese market, the Corolla Cross has been given a key facelift.

Toyota Australia has yet to confirm if this is the look we'll see in Australia, but given the redesign matches similar moves made with the RAV4, we can likely expect to get the same.

Among the changes are a more aggressive new LED lighting signature at the front end, along with a larger new infotainment display in the cabin, matched to an all-digital instrument cluster screen behind the steering wheel.

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There's also a new 2.0-litre petrol-electric all-wheel-drive hybrid system producing 164kW of combined power (Toyota doesn't reveal combined torque figures), promising a 0-100km/h time of 8.1 seconds.

The additional poke comes courtesy of a 30.6kW electric motor positioned at the rear axle, creating a new "AWD-i" system.

Toyota says it has also gifted the Corolla Cross with an upgraded transaxle design, new systems for lubrication and oil distribution, and new 40-per-cent lighter lithium-ion batteries.

A late 2022 debut for Australia remains the official word on local timing.

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September 2021: Sporty Corolla Cross GR and Japan facelift revealed

As we await an Australian debut for the Corolla Cross, Toyota has unveiled a new GR Sport styling and handling package for its latest small SUV, along with a new Japan-market redesign.

See details at the link below.

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July 2020: Corolla Cross compared to its Australian rivals

Get a full rundown on how the incoming new Corolla Cross compares to its most obvious direct rivals in Australian market. Full story at the link below.

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2022 Toyota Corolla Cross revealed

July 2020, Tom Fraser

Toyota has unveiled a brand new model to the world today; the Corolla Cross SUV will first go on sale in Thailand in September but won't be available to Australians until late 2022.

Its debut closely follows that of its smaller sibling, the new Yaris Cross which – according to the plan – will land Down Under before 2020 ends.

But it’s this car that could quickly become one of Australia’s best-selling SUVs, trading on the popular Corolla name and taking elements from both car that as well as the RAV4 medium SUV for its design.

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The rumour of a new C-segment SUV from Toyota was first picked up earlier this year but this is the first confirmation that the new SUV is based on the Corolla.

Toyota’s Corolla Cross will slot in nicely between the Yaris Cross and Australia’s favourite RAV4 when it arrives, as a more practical alternative to the C-HR.

It’ll come based on the same TNGA-C car platform as the C-HR, which also underpins the Corolla hatchback and sedan – the car that lends its name to the new SUV.

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That means we can likely expect much of the same equipment in a higher-riding package, namely a return of the high-level safety equipment and connectivity technology that makes the Corolla so popular.

On the exterior the Corolla Cross receives both LED headlights and taillights and 18-inch wheels, while inside the interior features a Corolla-looking affair with a 9.0-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and a 7.0-inch display within the instrument cluster.

How big is the Corolla Cross?

The Corolla Cross rides on a 2640mm wheelbase and measures 4460mm long overall, 1825mm wide and 1620mm tall, with 487 litres of boot space with the rear seats in their upright position.

By comparison, the larger RAV4 has a 2690mm wheelbase and comes in at 4570mm long overall. Height is 1660mm and width is 1855mm, and boot capacity is 580 litres with the rear seats upright.

Lastly, the style-oriented C-HR has the same 2640mm wheelbase as the Corolla Cross, but measures a much shorter 4360mm long overall. Width is 1795mm, height is 1565mm, and boot capacity is just 318 litres.

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What engines and transmissions will be on offer?

Toyota says the car will be delivered with two versions of the company's 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine in Thailand: one a hybrid and the other a regular petrol option.

Both engine options are mated to a continuously variable transmission.

Toyota Australia has already confirmed that petrol and hybrid versions will be on offer Down Under.

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When will the Toyota Corolla Cross come to Australia?

Few other details are offered about the Corolla Cross, but Toyota Australia itself is excited, with Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley saying the Corolla Cross will become an important addition to the local range, with SUV sales accelerating to an unprecedented 48 percent of the market so far this year.

Details remain scant on what specification we’re going to get when it arrives, but Toyota Australia did say that we can expect the new Corolla Cross in the second half of 2022.

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Click on the lead photo at the top of this story for a gallery of Toyota Corolla Cross images.