The 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is the first major variant of the Corolla Cross subcompact crossover the brand launched as a 2022 model-year vehicle. The small SUV owes its name to another extremely successful model line, the Corolla, among America's best-selling models. In just one year on the market, the Corolla Cross has added to the sales total, immediately blossoming into one of the most successful new models in Toyota's history. Of course, the deck was stacked in its favor because the Corolla Cross is a low-priced, high-value crossover SUV—a vehicle type American consumers can't seem to get enough of.
With the addition of a hybrid-powered version that caps the model line, industry observers expect the Corolla Cross lineup to grow even more. Toyota execs predict 14,000 Corolla Cross Hybrid sales in 2023 and as many as 30,000 in 2024 as the Japanese automaker gets full production from the Alabama plant the brand shares with Mazda. In light of the hybrid's entirely new powertrain, added features, and different look, now is the time to revisit the Corolla Cross line with an in-depth look at the hybrid version.
The 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is a high-volume example of the brand's electrification strategy, which differs from many other manufacturers. Several competitors are creating battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) at a feverish rate, but Toyota is taking a more measured approach, leveraging the hybrid powertrain technology it has pioneered and perfected through multiple generations.
The overriding difference between the Corolla Cross Hybrid and the conventional Corolla Cross is the former's hybrid drivetrain. Other, more minor, differences include:
With a fuel-economy rating of 32 mpg in combined city/highway driving, the conventionally powered Corolla Cross is quite economical for a crossover SUV. The Corolla Cross Hybrid takes things to the next level, with 42 mpg combined.
The Corolla Cross Hybrid offers more horsepower than the conventional Corolla Cross, and Toyota emphasizes that added sportiness in its trim levels. It makes the Corolla Cross Hybrid available as an S, SE, or XSE—the brand's sport-oriented grades. The S has a sport-tuned suspension, LED headlamps, 17-inch alloy wheels, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and smart key access. The SE adds privacy glass, roof rails, and paddle shifters. It also upgrades the safety equipment list to include blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic warning. The XSE is the sportiest and most luxurious Corolla Cross Hybrid with 18-inch alloy wheels, premium LED lighting front and rear, leatherette seat coverings, heated front seats, and a power-adjustable driver's seat.
Previously, JD Power reviewed the 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross. This review focuses on the Corolla Cross Hybrid's updates for 2023 and how they potentially impact its overall appeal to consumers.
The Toyota Corolla Cross competes in the Small SUV market segment. According to data collected from verified new-vehicle buyers for the JD Power 2022 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, 62 percent of new Toyota Corolla Cross buyers are female (vs. 58 percent for the segment), and the median age of a new Corolla Cross buyer is 51 years (vs. 54).
As part of the APEAL Study, owners rated the Corolla Cross in 10 primary categories. Listed below in descending order, you'll find their preferences, from their most favorite thing about the vehicle to their least favorite:
In the 2022 APEAL Study, the Corolla Cross ranks 15th out of 19 Small SUV models.
In the following sections, our independent expert analyzes a Corolla Cross Hybrid SE equipped with the following options:
The test vehicle's price was $31,850, including the $1,335 destination charge.
The fifth-generation Toyota Hybrid system is the most significant differentiator between the conventional Corolla Cross and the Corolla Cross Hybrid. Coming to that conclusion does not take an advanced journalism degree, but driving the two vehicles reinforces that conclusion.
As you would expect, the hybrid version offers significantly better fuel economy—42 mpg combined, which beats the combined rating of the conventional Corolla Cross by 10 mpg. You might not expect substantially more power, added torque, and better drivability. It's so good that it persuaded Toyota engineers to accompany the added horsepower with a suspension tuned for sportier driving than the conventionally powered Corolla Cross.
The hybrid system comprises a 150-horsepower, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine running a high 14.0:1 compression ratio, a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, and a 4.08 amp-hour lithium-ion battery. The battery is under the rear seats, maximizing cargo capacity and contributing to a low center of gravity. The combined net horsepower is 196. Equally important, the electric motor contributes torque instantaneously when needed.
The 2023 Corolla Cross is available with front-wheel drive—its base configuration. On the other hand, the Corolla Cross Hybrid is all-wheel-drive (AWD) only. This is unsurprising given that Toyota frequently leverages its hybrid systems to drive all four wheels. Typically, an electric motor (or motors) drives the rear axle, which is the case with the Corolla Cross Hybrid.
Toyota designed the system for on-road use, with little, if any, off-road pretense. The aim was to enhance the overall road-holding and traction of the Corolla Cross Hybrid, especially in challenging weather conditions like rain, snow, and sleet. The gasoline engine drives the wheels on the front axle via an electronically controlled continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).
Don't worry about what you've heard about CVTs, either. This one does not induce the engine to drone at an uncomfortable rpm, unlike CVTs of a different type that come in many economy crossovers. It performs without notice, an admirable trait in an automatic transmission.
The 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is essentially equal to the conventionally powered 2023 Corolla Cross with its own trim levels. Toyota sees the Corolla Cross Hybrid as the most enthusiast-oriented of the lineup. It treats it that way with the trim levels, badging, and equipment it offers. When viewed next to a non-hybrid Corolla Cross, the hybrid stands out.
Toyota fits the 2023 Corolla Cross Hybrid S with a blackout grille, black rocker panel moldings, and black "air extractor" rear styling. The base hybrid comes with 17-inch alloy wheels as standard equipment; the XSE trim has 18-inch alloys. The sporty XSE also gets upscale LED headlights, taillights, and fog lights.
All the Corolla Cross Hybrids feature black badging—another bow to its performance orientation. As a final fillip outside, the hybrid SE and XSE trims give consumers the option of unique two-tone paint combinations: silver body/black roof, red body/black roof, blue metallic body/black roof, and "Acidic Blast" body/black roof.
Inside, the Corolla Cross Hybrid continues the sports-oriented theme in its seat upholstery and trim. The base S trim level has fabric-trimmed seats in black and gray. The SE has fabric-trimmed seats in black-and-gray or black-and-blue. The XSE treats its buyers to leather-like SofTex-trimmed seats in black or black-and-blue, the latter a particularly handsome combination.
Equipped with its 169-hp, naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine, the conventional Corolla Cross offers very praiseworthy fuel economy. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the base front-drive L trim at 32 mpg combined. The AWD L—the trim most similar to the base Corolla Cross Hybrid S—comes in at 30 mpg combined. Those are excellent marks and challenging targets for the Corolla Cross Hybrid. Still, it significantly outdoes its conventionally powered siblings while offering its buyers nearly 30 additional horsepower.
At the time of writing, the EPA has not published official fuel-economy ratings for the 2023 Corolla Cross Hybrid. Toyota estimates that all the hybrid trim levels will turn in marks of 45 mpg city/38 mpg highway/42 mpg combined. With its 10.6-gallon fuel tank, the Corolla Cross Hybrid should have a useful range of more than 400 miles between fill-ups. To partially compensate, the non-hybrid front-drive Corolla Cross has a 12.4-gallon gas tank, and the AWD version has a 13.2-gallon tank.
Not only will the 2023 Corolla Cross Hybrid be more economical to fuel than the conventional version, but it will also be more convenient. Skipping gas stops saves you time and hassle.
When first reviewing the 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross at its introduction to the press in 2021, I suspected it would be a giant hit with the American car-buying public. That prediction came true. Now, the introduction of the hybrid version of the popular crossover gives consumers yet another compelling reason to sample the small crossover. And I again suspect they will like what they see.
From several points of view, the hybrid is the "halo" car for the entire Corolla Cross lineup. It offers the most horsepower and torque. It has the most driver-oriented suspension and handles the best of all the variants. Plus, it produces the best fuel economy and helps Toyota in its corporate quest to go Beyond Zero regarding carbon dioxide mitigation.
Yes, the Corolla Cross Hybrid is significantly more expensive than its non-hybrid siblings. Indeed, the entry-level S trim is almost $9,000 more than its roughly equivalent AWD L trim non-hybrid. And Toyota priced the Hybrid XSE over $10,000 above the non-hybrid top-of-the-line Corolla Cross XLE. Yet, in many ways, the hybrid's added horsepower, better drivability, and lower fuel costs justify those higher prices.
The Toyota Corolla Cross reaches rarified air among the burgeoning crop of small crossovers. Achieving even greater heights, the Corolla Cross Hybrid stands at the peak of that mountain.
Jack R. Nerad has reviewed cars, trucks, vans, and sport utilities for over three decades. He managed the editorial efforts of Motor Trend magazine and Kelley Blue Book and is currently the host of the SportsMap Radio Network program America on the Road, available on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Stitcher, and other outlets.
The Ford Transit is the automaker’s full-size cargo and passenger van offering, designed to serve a wide range of commercial and lifestyle applications. With 37 available configurations, the platform ...See More
Read the Full Article
The Chevrolet Tahoe is a full-size, three-row SUV with a standard V8 engine and available diesel power. Built on the same platform as the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup, the Tahoe benefits from its ...See More
Read the Full Article
It is the end of the line for the Ford Escape. After 25 years as a fixture of Ford’s lineup, 2026 will be the compact SUV’s last model year.
Read the Full Article
The Colorado is Chevrolet’s midsize pickup. It ranks among the segment’s most capable trucks for payload and towing, and can be configured for both work and off-road adventures. For 2026, the ...See More
Read the Full Article