Louth Motoring: Playing it Safe with the Corolla Cross

Toyota was the best-selling brand in Ireland last year.

They sold more cars than they did in 2022 but market share dropped by nearly 2% and just goes to show that numbers can be used to prove any side of an argument. The market share dropped as there was a lot more cars sold last year overall but I know which figure I’d be happier with – cars sold as that’s money in the bank.

Market share is the ego side of things. Not that Toyota ever comes across with an ego.

They are the one manufacturer that just seems to get on with the business of making cars. Good cars. In fact, incredibly good cars. They always had, and never lost, the name for being one of the most reliable brands you can buy and pioneered the hybrid model years before anyone else.

They also came up with some real gems and the latest Prius is a perfect example. If you turned the clock back 10 years and stuck a Lamborghini badge on it no one would blink. It really is a super stylish car, and I can’t wait to test it. And have you seen the new CH-R? That’s a futuristic looking concept car that you can buy now.

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The point of all of that is that Toyota know what to make to secure buyers. For sure reliability will be a major factor but an appealing model line-up is also vital.

You just have to be sure what appealing is.

In the SUV/Crossover space Toyota have 5 models to choose from. From the Yaris Cross to the Highlander there is a fit for everyone and bang smack in the middle is the Corolla Cross.

It is outsold by the Yaris, RAV4 and the CH-R but I reckon in 2024 they may move up the ladder. It has the optimum proportions to tempt CH-R and RAV-4 buyers or preferably new ones.

There are two versions a 2.0l Hybrid and here a 1.8L Hybrid. The difference is better fuel economy and a lower price which is always good for motorists.

You’ll still need a sizeable chunk of change with prices starting at €38,330 for the 1.8l Luna model. You must go to the Sport trim to be able to get the 2.0l Hybrid engine and that costs €42,890.

The Corolla name is not to be meddled with as it is such a talismanic car for Toyota. The Cross version better be right.

I thought the arrival of the Yaris Cross would see sales of the Yaris plummet, but they didn’t, and the Yaris Cross found new buyers.

That’s the aim here for the Corolla. I’d say the designers have come up with a look that maintains the DNA of a Corolla, but they have been very measured. The best way to describe it is it looks how a Cross version should look without any major standout design feature.

You can see a lot of other Toyota model designs here but nothing unique and specific to the Corolla. I’d say they met the brief perfectly and the Cross delivers that raised and rugged look buyers of these type of cars demand.

You get an imposing grille too but at the side and rear it is pared back angular design with nothing that really stands out which is not a bad thing.

The inside passes the spacious test and it feels a lot brighter and airier than the CH-R. That’s owing to the less than sleek lines on the outside.

Rear headroom is much better and the cabin layout won’t seat you too close to fellow passengers thus avoiding elbow bumping and wrestling.

The instrument and controls layout is very Toyota familiar and what I call elegantly unfussy.

The infotainment screen is prominent and below it there are knobs and buttons for the most frequently used items which is always a good thing.

The touchscreen is glitch free and performs niggle-free. The seats were comfortable and for a weekend dash to Clare and back my supersensitive back and posterior muscles didn’t register any complaint.

That drive gave me an excellent opportunity to see how the Corolla Cross performed on a wide array of roads.

It is certainly sure footed and on the rural roads I found myself forgetting everything and just enjoyed the left and right steering to pilot the car without any notchy steering wheel jerks.

With the radio off this is quite a world detaching thing to do as you concentrate on driving smoothly.

The motorway experience is just that and I can’t report a major gripe. I kept to the speed limit and my only note was louder than expected engine noise with very little wind or road noise which is not what I would have expected to record nor was it any way close to being a showstopper.

Fuel economy was 5.7l/100km which I thought as excellent for a car of its proportions. And not far off the 5.0l/100km combined cycle figure Toyota claim.

The Hybrid technology is deployed to use less fuel, and this is particularly noticeable in an urban stop/start trip.

If you are always doing this type of driving, then the 1.8l 140hp Hybrid engine will make good on that characteristic. It has a 0-100km/h figure of 9.9s compared to 7.6s in the 2.0l hybrid version that has 57hp extra from that additional 200cc.

To go with that extra passenger space is a boot with a capacity of 436 litres up from 313litres you get in a normal Corolla.

If your car has a repair kit and not a spare wheel the boot capacity figure rises to 473litres but given the choice I’d have a spare wheel every time. I doubt many people who are in the market for a car of the Corolla Cross’s ability and price point will have any concerns.

Safety on the Corolla Cross isn’t lacking with Toyota’s Safety Sense 3 (TSS3). That gives you 8 airbags, pre-collision detection at intersections and pedestrian and cyclist/motorbike detection as well as emergency braking and steering technology.

This is top notch stuff. I just wish Toyota they hadn’t played it as safe with the design and expressed themselves like they did on the Prius and the CH-R.

Maybe next time. Rest assured buyers, be they loyal Toyota buyers or new to the brand, won’t be disappointed by the new Corolla Cross and expect to see Toyota at the top of the Irish charts again next year.