00:00 Toyota recently gave its popular hybrid crossover a mid-cycle refresh, and as expected, we didn't
00:07 have to wait long for Toyota Motor Philippines to bring this in.
00:10 Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the facelifted Toyota Corolla Cross.
00:14 [Music]
00:31 Well, the bulk of this facelift can be found on the front fascia.
00:34 Toyota has done away with the chrome trim on the old Corolla Cross and gave it a very
00:38 clean-looking, very modern-like grille, and it looks pretty darn good.
00:42 Now, as for this one, this is the GR-S variant.
00:45 As you can see, Toyota didn't really change much with the front fascia.
00:48 It does get new snazzy-looking headlamps though with sequential turn signals that look pretty
00:52 good.
00:53 Now, that's most of it for the front end.
00:55 Let's check out the rear.
00:56 Now, as for the rear, I'll give you a second.
01:00 Notice anything?
01:01 Well, you will need an eagle eye for this one.
01:04 The only changes here can be found on the taillights.
01:07 Toyota has changed up the design a bit, and that's about it.
01:11 But before we check out the interior, notice that this one has a new color.
01:15 This is something very familiar.
01:16 You can find it in the Hilux range.
01:18 This is Emotional Red.
01:20 It comes available in the top-spec GR-S variant for an additional Php 5,000.
01:25 We're now inside the GR-S variant, and the layout here is pretty much the same.
01:29 Same buttons on the steering wheel, same buttons and knobs here for the AC controls.
01:33 Gearship lever is still here, but Toyota made a few significant changes.
01:38 This is a new 10-inch infotainment system that's only an inch bigger than the old one,
01:42 but it's so much clearer, has a more visible display, and it now comes with Apple Wireless,
01:47 Apple CarPlay, and wireless Android Auto.
01:49 Thank God for that because it has two ports here, one USB-A port, one USB-C port that's
01:58 not ergonomic at all.
01:59 If you plug a cable here, you'll have this dangling, and sooner rather than later, that's
02:03 probably gonna break.
02:04 Now, as for this head unit, by the way, it has a very clear, as I said, a very clear
02:10 display, and the user interface is just so much better than the old one.
02:14 And if I'm not mistaken, this one on the wallpaper is a Supra.
02:19 Looks pretty cool.
02:20 I think that, yeah, I think that's a Supra.
02:22 Now, while it no longer has the buttons or the knobs like before, I feel like this one
02:26 is gonna be much easier to use.
02:28 Now, paired with this one is a new 12.3-inch instrument cluster that's fully digital for
02:33 the top spectrum.
02:35 It's such a clear display.
02:36 I'm trying to navigate around this one now.
02:40 It looks so clear.
02:42 It looks so nice, so pleasing to the eye.
02:44 You also have your battery gauge here, of course, and your fuel gauge.
02:47 Another change here, which I like, Toyota has made the electronic parking brake standard
02:51 across the range.
02:53 So no more foot parking brake, which was frankly a bit confusing and a bit surprising when
02:58 I first drove the Corolla Cross.
03:00 Also, for the top spectrum, Toyota has added a panoramic moonroof up top.
03:05 In the old one, you only get a small sunroof up here.
03:09 In the lower variant, you don't get this panoramic moonroof and you don't get this digital instrument
03:13 cluster.
03:14 You do get new gauges for those, though, and they still look pretty good and you still
03:18 have all the information you need for driving.
03:20 For this hybrid variant, it also still gets a drive mode and EV mode buttons here.
03:25 But something new here, last but not least, the wireless charger.
03:29 This is also standard across the range.
03:33 In terms of space and comfort, it's still the same as before.
03:36 Still the same legroom and headroom and the seat material is still the same.
03:40 It's leather.
03:41 These, by the way, are GR seats.
03:42 You don't get that in the lower variants, of course.
03:45 Cup holders here, bottle holders on either side, and that's it.
03:49 I guess for the sake of it, let's check out the second row.
03:52 So as I said, not a lot of changes here.
03:55 Still the same comfortable second row.
03:56 You still got a lot of headroom, got a lot of legroom.
03:59 This by the way is set to my driving position, I think, and I am 5'5" and I still have a
04:03 lot of space left.
04:04 Now, my complaint about the Corolla Cross has always been elbow room in the back, and
04:09 Toyota made no such changes with the door panels to address that.
04:12 So I think three people here, even if they're not as wide as me, will still have a bit of
04:17 a problem fitting properly.
04:19 But you still have this comfortable, nifty armrest with the matching armrest here, the
04:24 bottle holder, and this nice new panoramic moonroof.
04:31 That's not advisable to be open from the second row because it's a bit far, but I wouldn't
04:36 mind being a passenger here.
04:37 But it's time to drive, so let's go.
04:45 So now we're finally behind the wheel and on the road, and can I just say, I'm loving
04:50 this moonroof.
04:51 The summer sun is out, but it isn't that harsh because it's a bit tinted, and it feels nice
04:57 to have the sun in your face, the sun inside the cabin every now and then.
05:01 Anyway, as for how this one drives, well, Toyota didn't really change anything under
05:04 the hood.
05:05 You still get the same 1.8-liter gasoline engine with a single electric motor for the
05:10 hybrid variant, and it comes with a CVT that drives the front wheels.
05:13 Now, the only difference with this facelift is that there's no longer a gasoline-only
05:18 variant in the lineup.
05:20 So for 2024 and onwards, the Corolla Cross will only be available as a hybrid.
05:25 As for that hybrid powertrain, well, it's still the same as before.
05:29 It's not fast.
05:31 You wouldn't call the Corolla Cross fast, and that's not exactly what you look for in
05:34 a crossover like this one.
05:36 But what it is is it's very light, it's very easy to drive, and most important, it's very
05:42 fuel-efficient.
05:43 I remember we got about 20 kilometers easily in mixed conditions with the old Corolla Cross,
05:48 and that's basically the same for this one.
05:50 I'm pretty sure you will be able to get the same figures.
05:52 Now, we just drove through some rumble strips.
05:55 I'm not sure if you noticed, but that's also a testament to how comfortable and how quiet
06:01 it is inside this cabin, and that's basically what you need and what you want in a hybrid
06:05 crossover.
06:06 It's very quiet in here.
06:09 Sound insulation is very, very good, and it eats up most road imperfections with ease,
06:14 and it's going to be very comfortable driving this around the city as with before.
06:19 And of course, as I said, it's still very easy to drive.
06:22 It's got light steering, so if you want a daily driver that can get you around the urban
06:27 districts of Metro Manila, this one is still one good way to go.
06:33 Now, on to the big question.
06:36 How much is it?
06:37 For this one, the GR-S variant, this stickers for Php 1,917,000 for the white pearl option,
06:48 and for this emotional red color, you need to pay an additional Php 5,000 as I also mentioned
06:54 earlier.
06:55 For the lower V variant, that's an additional—wait, the sun is in my eyes.
07:00 Too much sun this time.
07:01 So again, for the lower V variant, that's Php 1,763,000.
07:08 And for the base G variant, which is now also a hybrid, it stickers for Php 1,498,000.
07:17 That makes the Corolla Cross the most affordable hybrid in Toyota's lineup.
07:22 So that's some food for thought.
07:25 Would you get this one or the Yaris Cross?
07:27 I don't know.
07:28 You tell us.
07:29 Thanks for watching.
07:34 (upbeat music)
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