- toyota will launch a hybrid version of the corolla cross subcompact suv.
- we don't know powertrain details yet, but we hope it will have more power than the corolla sedan hybrid.
- the corolla cross hybrid will arrive sometime next year, likely as a 2023 model.
the new toyota corolla cross will join many of its brethren in offering a hybrid powertrain, as toyota has confirmed that a gas-electric variant will arrive soon. the company had hinted at a corolla cross hybrid during this new model's debut earlier this year, but we now have full confirmation that the hybrid variant will launch in the u.s. sometime in 2022.
there's no word yet on which hybrid powertrain the corolla cross will use, but we sure hope it has more power than the corolla sedan hybrid. that model has a 1.8-liter gasoline engine and the drivetrain makes just 121 horsepower in total, which resulted in a sluggish 60 mph time of 10.7 seconds in our testing. that hybrid setup wouldn't suffice in the larger, heavier crossover version, so we can expect a larger, more powerful gasoline engine in the corolla cross hybrid.
we also think toyota is likely to offer an all-wheel-drive version of the corolla cross hybrid, possibly with a similar setup as the prius e-awd model that has an additional electric motor powering the rear wheels at lower speeds. the nonhybrid corolla cross uses a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-four with 169 horsepower, and it's offered with both front- and all-wheel drive.
stay tuned for more information still to come on the corolla cross hybrid, which should be added to the lineup for the 2023 model year.