Toyota’s iconic compact car has expanded beyond its sedan and hatchback roots to include a new SUV version as the company takes the wraps off the 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross. The new compact crossover will be available in front- or all-wheel drive and will employ the same chassis and 169-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine from the Corolla.
The Corolla Cross shares styling cues with its more purpose-built RAV4 sibling. The squared-off body sports a large grille with a blacked-out surround, black fender cladding, and lower rocker covers, giving it rugged SUV-inspired styling.
Three trim levels
The 5-passenger 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross will come in three trim levels: L, LE, and XLE. Standard features include LED lighting, single-zone climate control, 17-inch steel wheels, and rear-seat HVAC vents. Also included are cloth seating, a 7-inch infotainment display, and a 60/40 split-folding rear seat.
Upper trims will include dual-zone climate control, 18-inch alloy wheels, a power moonroof, SoftTex upholstery, and an 8-inch touchscreen. Wireless charging and two rear-seat USB ports are standard on LE and XLE.
Toyota Safety Sense Standard
All models will come with Toyota’s Safety Sense suite of assists. These features include forward collision warning and emergency braking with pedestrian detection, dynamic radar cruise control, lane-departure alert, lane-tracing assist, road sign assist, and automatic high beams. LE and XLE models have blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. XLE adds rear parking assist with automatic braking.
All Toyota Corolla Cross models have nine airbags for passenger protection. Additional features of the Toyota Star Safety system include anti-lock brakes, brake assist, electronic brake-force distribution, and traction and stability control.
Pricing
While pricing will come closer to launch, we expect the 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross to start in the low $20,000s. It may be as much as $2,000 above the base L Corolla sedan, which comes in at $20,025 for 2021 models.
The Corolla Cross fills the gap between the C-HR, which starts at $21,595, and the RAV4, which costs $26,250. Unlike the C-HR, which comes in front-drive only, the Corolla Cross will have an AWD option. It will compete directly with the Nissan Rogue Sport, Subaru Crosstrek, Mazda CX-30, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, and Jeep Compass.
