What has good fuel economy, a large cabin and plenty of features? This Toyota Hybrid

2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid

Type: Compact, five-door crossover, front-engine, electric all-wheel drive

Engine: Two-litre, inline-four cylinder; 150 horsepower at 6,000 revolutions per minute; 139 lbs.-ft. at 4,400 rpm. System total: 196 horsepower.

Fuel economy (Regular gasoline): 5.2 litres/100 km in the city; 6.2 l/100 km on the highway; 5.6 l/100 km combined; observed 4.5 l/100 km

Cargo capacity: 609 litres or 21.5 cubic feet; 1,750 l or 61.8 cu. ft., with rear seats folded

Prices: SE $33,985; XSE $36,755 (plus destination, taxes and fees)

A couple of years back, I took the then-new Toyota Corolla Cross on a long-distance, Christmas road trip. I liked the little Toyota; it had a much more comfortable cabin than the Corolla hatch or sedan, and more cargo space. But there were things that made it a non-starter for me: the Cross was sluggish and had a small tank, pessimistic fuel gauge and mediocre fuel economy.

I was stopping for a fill-up every 300 km to 350 km.

For 2024, Toyota has made a change that could fix these things. The Corolla Cross now offers a hybrid powertrain (components that push your vehicle forward) that Toyota has done best, ever since the first Prius showed up at dealers.

The Corolla Cross launched with a two-litre, four-cylinder engine that produced 169 horsepower (hp) and 161 lbs.-ft. of torque (motive force). It was the same engine as the standard Corolla, paired with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

Corolla Cross Hybrid gets a two-litre, four-cylinder engine, too. This one only makes 150 hp and 139 lbs. ft. of torque. But it has a friend along for the ride: a permanent magnet synchronous motor that takes the total up to 196 hp.

It is the same driveline as in the latest Prius. (The driveline is the system that distributes power from the engine and transmission to the wheels.) It turns the Corolla Cross from a slug into something with a lot more pep.

Toyota shrunk the gas tank even more, unfortunately, from 47 litres to just 40. But the fuel economy figure is now 5.2 l/100 km in the city and 6.2 l/100 km on the highway.

Based on my own driving in the Cross Hybrid in the hills east of Carlsbad, Calif., along with some high-speed highway driving, those figures aren’t out of reach. My average was in the four litres/100 km-range, an impressive number.

Because you need to use max power less of the time, engine noise is less intrusive. It’s still not quiet, but it makes much less noise. Wind and road noise are still high, but that’s about par for this segment.

Because you’re not flooring it all the time, the ride is more comfortable, too. And less stressful … making the Corolla Cross Hybrid a better place to spend time on your commute or weekend drive.

Toyota says S grade vehicles, such as the SE and XSE Corolla Cross Hybrids, have a sport-tuned suspension, something gas L models do not.

All-wheel drive is standard on the Corolla Cross Hybrid. That, along with Toyota deciding to launch it only in the more sporty “S” grades, creates a bit of a price gulf between the two versions of the model. A base model gas Corolla Cross L FWD (front-wheel drive) is $29,399.50. The entry point for the Hybrid is the $33,985 SE. As the gas LE AWD (all-wheel drive) is just $685.50 less than the hybrid SE, an amount you’ll probably make up for in fuel use in the first six months, we can’t imagine many buyers seeking out the gas variant.

Inside, hybrid and gas versions are nearly identical. The hybrid adds buttons for electric vehicle (EV) mode, and that’s about it.

So buyers can expect the same Corolla hatch and sedan-inspired dashboard. It’s not Toyota’s best work stylistically, but the ergonomics are solid. It has plenty of buttons and switches for nearly all features.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid gets Toyota’s latest infotainment system. It has natural voice-recognition and response. An eight-inch touchscreen shows you the new system.

Despite the extra bits that come with the hybrid, cargo space is unchanged. Toyota says the hybrid has the same 609 litres, or 21.5 cubic feet, as a gas model with power moonroof. Fold all the seats and there is a total of 1,750 litres (61.8 cu. ft.) of easily accessible space for your gear.

Toyota identifies the hybrid with a new grille. More of the nose is covered, which probably helps the aerodynamics. Other distinguishing features include the wheels and badges and paintwork.

Corolla Cross Hybrid will be offered with special two-tone combos: silver, red, and blue with a black roof, and Acidic Blast, a kind of shimmering gold, also with a black roof.

Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard. It includes upgraded system sensors with better detection capability than previous versions. It has adaptive cruise; detection that you may be about to hit a pedestrian; lane departure alert with steering assist, and the usual other driver aids. Blind Spot Monitoring is standard, too. Emergency Driving Stop is new. The system monitors your inputs. If it thinks you’re inattentive or non-responsive, it will bring the vehicle to a stop.

Expect the 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid to start arriving at dealers in a few months. (Toyota is still working to catch up with pandemic-related back orders.)

There are nicer interiors in this segment, larger cabins, and vehicles that are more fun to drive. But there are none that can manage this level of fuel efficiency, with a large cabin and loads of gear as standard.

Correction — May 3, 2023: This article was updated to correct the price of the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE.

Correction — May, 4, 2023: This article has been updated to correct engine specifications for the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid.