By the standards of the day, the display is small and conservative but forgoing lavish graphics and digital screens undoubtedly makes it more affordable.įor the asking price of R413 000, Hybrid XS is in the middle wrung of the spec walk and we reckon it’s got the best of everything, including height and reach steering adjustment, electric windows and mirrors, leather seats, dual-zone climate control, reverse camera with park-distance control, LED headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, 17-inch alloy wheels and two additional USB ports. The arrangement of the driver’s binnacle is straightforward with a central speedometer, power/charge gauge for the hybrid drivetrain and TFT screen for the trip computer/infotainment. The top portion of the dashboard is from a Corolla Hatch/Sedan with soft-touch materials and the large central touchscreen and dual-zone climate control, while the lower portion features harder plastics that put us in mind of the budget-minded Corolla Quest. INTERIORīesides being immensely spacious, the Corolla Cross XS cabin is a pleasant place to spend time thanks to the solid fit and finish and well-judged specification. Drive it like you’ve got a newborn baby onboard and it’s smooth, calm, quiet and easygoing. On balance, we preferred to leave it in Eco mode and take a hypermiling approach. Driven in the latter, the CVT holds on to revs for longer. A marked difference considering we drove the route in the same manner. Toyota’s claimed/combined figure is a rather ambitious 4,30 L/100 km, but when we set out on our standardised fuel route, we recorded a figure of 4,10 L/100 km in Eco mode and, interestingly, 5,20 L/100 km with the drivetrain in Power mode. Thankfully, while the hybrid is not the quickest conveyance, its real-world fuel economy is mightily impressive. We believe more electric assistance at low revs and a few more kilowatts of total output would enhance performance and overall driveability. Unfortunately, whether it is the CVT or there’s simply a shortfall of power, for a hybrid there’s a noticeable lag off the line. An instantaneous zing of electric power to get it off the line and up to speed before the combustion engine took over. We were hoping for more of that sensation in the Corolla Cross. With the ever-increasing proliferation of battery-electric vehicles (BEV) locally, we’ve warmed to the satisfying surge of electric boost as soon as you touch the throttle. The resultant zero to 100 km/h sprint is not exactly quick at 11,96 seconds and acceleration through the various speed ranges is also sluggish 60-80 km/h takes three seconds, 80-100 km/h in four seconds and 100-120 km/h in five seconds. On our scales the Corolla Cross XS Hybrid weighs in at 1 408 kg, giving it a modest power-to-weight ratio of 64 W/kg. This is the same self-charging hybrid drivetrain that’s been in the Prius for some time and is available in the Corolla Sedan except in those two applications, there’s less weight to carry around. Powered by the proven DOHC 1,8-litre VVTi petrol unit coupled with an electric motor and battery pack, the hybrid model we have on test produces 90 kW at 5 200 r/min and 142 N.m of torque (plus electric boost of indeterminate value) at 3 600 r/min.
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