New ​Toyota Corolla Cross to be built in SA

Toyota on Thursday confirmed that the Corolla Cross will be produced in SA at its Prospecton plant in Durban.

The compact SUV, based on the new-generation Corolla sedan and hatchback, will start local production in October 2021 and will slot in under the Rav4 and above the C-HR in Toyota's local line-up.

It will be the latest entrant in SA's highly competitive compact SUV market, taking on rivals like the Ford Kuga and Volkswagen Tiguan.

It will be built in right- and left-hand drive models for the local market and export to the rest of Africa. The vehicle will be assembled on Toyota's passenger car line alongside the Corolla Quest.

The Corolla Cross made its world debut in July 2020 and is built on the same TNGA platform that underpins all body variants of the modern Corolla. It is more rigid than its predecessors and has a lower centre of gravity, making it more of an agile driver's car, says Andrew Kirby, CEO of Toyota SA.

There will  be a 1.8-litre petrol-electric hybrid model with a rated economy of just 4.3l/100km; it will be the first hybrid vehicle produced by Toyota SA.

It will also be offered in a 1.8-litre petrol version with outputs of 103kW and 177Nm, with claimed fuel consumption of 6.5l/100km.

Toyota has yet to confirm prices and specifications, but the Corolla Cross sold overseas offers features such as a floating 8-inch infotainment system, seven airbags, stability control, electric windows, active cruise control, automatic LED headlamps, a reversing camera, and a digital speedometer.

Safety features like a Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are also available on overseas models.