Christmas came early for the Toyota Corolla Cross and Santa is giving it a facelift that includes an all-new variant in the form of the Corolla Cross GR Sport Hybrid. The order books are already open by UMW Toyota with prices estimated to start from RM 140,000.
Our northern neighbours already have the refreshed Corolla Cross so we can already guess what to expect. There’s a redesigned face with new LED headlights and a slimmed down element between them. The main grille itself now sports a new honeycomb design.
While we’ll not get a full interior look, teasers on the website indicate that the obsolete foot-operated parking brake will be replaced in favour of an electronic parking brake. The switch includes a new auto brake hold function as well.
There’s a larger 10.1-inch screen but more importantly, the infotainment should now support wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The screen will also house the updated 3D panoramic view monitor (PVM). A new telematics app includes a remote engine start feature.
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Previously, the GR Sport variant wasn’t a hybrid and the introduction of the new GR Sport Hybrid makes it unclear if they will be sold alongside each other or the former will be discontinued. Furthermore, the increased starting price indicates that the entry-level G variant will be going the way of the Tasmanian tiger.
Don’t expect many changes under the hood. It should remain identical between the 1.8-litre 2ZR-FE engine with 139 PS and 172 Nm of torque or the 1.8-litre 2ZR-FXE hybrid powertrain and its 122 PS.
Part of the refresh includes the hybrid battery being relocated into a lower position, translating into a lower centre of gravity that improves handling. There’s also a new EV Mode and Drive Mode button.
In terms of colours, the Corolla Cross Hybrid Electric can be had in five; a new Dark Turquoise and the remaining Red Mica Metallic, Silver Metallic, Celestite Grey Metallic and Platinum White Pearl.
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Over to the GR Sport, it can be had in three two-tone layouts. That’s Red Mica Metallic, Platinum White Pearl and Dark Turquoise; all with a blacked-out roof. Like the previous GR Sport, the stiffer suspension, additional bracing and GR Sport interior with red stitching is carried over.
As standard, a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty is there but also includes an eight-year, unlimited-mileage warranty for the hybrid battery, inverter and power management control ECU. If you so wish, you can extend it by an extra two years for a little extra.
Expect the refreshed Corolla Cross to debut at the upcoming KL International Motorshow (KLIMS) to be held from 5-11 December 2024 at MITEC.
