DRIVEN: Crossing over with the Toyota Corolla Cross 

Thanks for the response CDP! I love reading messages like yours where a consumer has purchased a car based on their needs and after having done the research! Are you coastal or inland? Personally that CVT in the straight 1.8l would drive me mad at altitude - be a little better down at the coast - but yes, so wish they could have dumped that turbo engine in there BUT that clearly there is a cost exercise going on here especially with local production. That 1.2 turbo is also paired to a CVT but I do worry about it being under powered given the size of the Corolla Cross - its what killed the Qashqai for me was that 1.2 paired to a CVT!!! Dreadful... But a little diesel with a straight auto would be the perfect crossover for me...

@@MariusRobertsProductions Gauteng. I am not really that into cars, it's a tool so the CVT probably won't bother me as much as others. I am a very chill driver. If the Haval Jolion had a bigger boot I may have considered it.

@@corneldup And that’s precisely how the CVT needs to be driven - chilled. Yep, Jolion is solid as is the Seltos and Peugeot 2008

What a super cool comment to receive! Day made - thank you

@@MariusRobertsProductions You are welcome 😄✌️

Happy days! Thanks for the comment

Thanks for the feedback Masego 😊😊

worldwide inflation done by criminals

Hey Ryan thanks for the comments! This is always the challenge with motoring media as the manufacturers always spec up or supply their top spec models to the press fleet so that's what we get to drive. What I have been doing is pulling cars from dealerships as they often have the volume seller on their floor which is not usually the top spec. Like i said in my review, I really do worry about that petrol engine without the additional push from the hybrid up at altitude and with a load - think that CVT would drone me to death!

@@MariusRobertsProductions Thanks for the reply Marius! At the moment it's impossible to even get a test drive due to the shortage of stock...

My pleasure Nathi AND thanks for watching and commenting!

I never went anywhere I promise - just been too busy on other behind the camera projects! BUT I have committed to being more active with my reviews... Thanks for the comment!

Thank you so much - I really appreciate the feedback! Its been over 12 years of reviewing cars and providing a fair and honest review remains my focus always.. The XS model would be my big especially down at coast as its performance will be much improved - but up at altitude without a turbo (or their hybrid) its going to have to be driven harder to get it going but because of that CVT, I fear the droning would drive me mad!

Of course the Jolion is competition - as is the Vitara, Tiggo 4 Pro, CX3 etc etc etc. The list of cars fitting into this broad 'compact crossover' segment is just insane...the 4 options I chose for my dimensions comparison were selected because the Seltos is the probably the closest in size to the Corolla Cross, the T-Cross is massively popular but considerably smaller and way more expensive when comparing spec for spec and then Peugeot 2008 because it straddles both. Out of those 4 you have a great diesel option in the Seltos and the both the 2008 and T-Cross run with turbo petrol engines and auto transmissions. So the issue isn't the engine, its the transmission - CVT - so like I said in the review, a standard auto would make bring the best out of the engine but you would sacrifice some efficiency. The only reason our cinsumption was good was because we were in the hybrid - the standard 1.8l petrol with that CVT transmission wont come anywhere near that - more like 8.5 - 9.0l per 100km. I also referenced the Tiggo 4 which also has a CVT but theirs worked better because the turbo engine delivered the lower down punch which eliminates that CVT drone under load. That's always been the rule of thumb for me - to make a CVT work you need a powerful engine!

Agreed - that’s why I suggested a small turbo petrol or even better, a diesel paired to a traditional torque converter would make this car unbeatable in the segment

Id steer clear of small capacity blown units, especially for a car of any weight. Add to that VW group's direct injection with carbon build up, sounds like a reliability nightmare.

Most soft roader / crossovers don't have anymore - messes with the all important looks! Crazy hey...not just for dirt road driving, even day to day there is nothing to prevent stone kick up on the highway either. Thanks for your insights...

No unfortunately its not the case of just dropping in a standard petrol engine and plugging a battery into the system - there is a process that sees the two components working seamlessly all the time as well as needing to regenerate charge whenever it can - all way above my technical pay grade - but if you are interested, you can check out the Atkinson Cycle engines and how they work. So this is is why the output's are different even though they are both 1.8l 4 cylinder engines - the Atkinson cycle engine is more focused on efficiency and not max output. In the same way its also not just a case of adding the maximum output of the engine and the battery to give you this amazing combined output.

@@MariusRobertsProductions now I understand. Thank you Marius. Greetings from PE 🙂

Here in South Africa its called Cosmic Blue and its a great colour - not purple in the flesh but a proper popping vibrant blue

Really? We did lots of open road driving (Jhb to Nelspruit return) so if the road noise was going to be an issue then that's were it would really stand out but honestly it wasn't bad at all. I had the adaptive cruise set in mine at 130km/h and never went over that speed - if wind noise from the mirrors is going to come into play it may be at a slightly higher speed. On the flip side, maybe the drone from the CVT was all I was focused on and it drowned out the rest. When you speak about road noise, is it sound coming through from the tyres? It would change as the surface changes - that's usually the common issue. Really appreciate your input - obviously I spend a few days in the car, as an owner you spend way more time AND are usually more in tune to things that annoy you because its your hard earned money you have spent. Will ask around and see what feedback I can find. Thanks

@@MariusRobertsProductions Thanks for the reply. It's road / tyres / wind noise especially coming through from the back (the boot). Maybe it's because I am used to the Corolla sedan which is definitely quieter. Other things I don't like is the small fuel tank and fuel consumption is not that good. Other than that I think it's a well balanced car in terms of interior (minimalistic and a bit of a premium feel), exterior (good size and looks good), enough power when needed, safety features, practicality and the price. My other option was the Mazda CX30 Dynamic. It drives better, beautiful interior (dashboard) but more expensive with less safety features, smaller and not as practical.

@@altusjordaan9473 Mmm if you used to a closed boot (sedan) then that will be a lot of noise through the back - it’s not helped by the fact that they only have a sliding fabric cover for their boot lid, instead of a more substantial solid cover. Space is brilliant as is the fuel economy so the smaller tank didn’t worry me too much (also helps with rear space) Mazda make great cars BUT they do need to bring some turbo technology to market…

I've just driven the Corolla Cross, indeed the cabin is quite, Marius is right.

What do you think about the power with 5 people on board. Does it struggle to maintain its speed?

Exactly what I said in the review - best in class if it was a diesel with a normal auto box