Late last week, Toyota debuted pictures of its latest creation; a lengthened, lifted, rebodied SUV variant of the ever popular Corolla, called the Corolla Cross.
Truth be told, we weren't expecting the Corolla Cross to be announced for New Zealand — assuming instead in our first-look story that it'd be an Asian-market exclusive.
But, as they say, assuming makes a donkey out of you and me. Toyota New Zealand has since confirmed that the high-riding compact is heading our way.
“We have secured this product for our line-up and are excited to launch it in due course," it said in a statement. "This addition will continue to add breadth to our overall range, with more SUV options for our customers. We will release more information closer to the time of launch.”
Toyota currently sells six different SUVs in New Zealand; the C-HR, RAV4, Highlander, Fortuner, Land Cruiser Prado, and legendary Land Cruiser 200. The upcoming Yaris Cross — it's soon-to-be smallest SUV offering — will make seven, with the Corolla Cross finally making eight.
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For those keeping count, Mercedes-Benz edges the Japanese marque ever so slightly in the SUV proliferation charts. When the new GLA arrives, it'll have nine SUVs here. BMW will be hot on its heels if the X8 comes here. That'll become its eighth local SUV offering.
Naturally, spec details for the Corolla Cross haven't been unveiled. And the same goes for local release dates or pricing. Those interested in the model should expect it to land in a similar pricing ball-park to the C-HR (which currently starts at $33,490, extending all the way to $39,390 for the two-tone Limited Hybrid).
It might seem counter-intuitive to have the Corolla Cross and C-HR occupying such a tight space together (remembering too that both vehicles share the same version of Toyota's TNGA platform), but it could be argued that each fills a different niche.
The C-HR is a noted design leader for Toyota, sporting the wildest version of the brand's edgier recent styling changes across the line-up. As good as the C-HR looks, its design is known for its practical shortcomings — namely for second-row passengers. This is where the more sensible, 'mini-RAV4' Corolla Cross can come in and save the day.
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