- Adding the hybrid powertrain to the Toyota Corolla Cross will cost you around $5000.
- For the money, you get around a 10-mpg improvement and almost 30 more horsepower.
- Options for the three trims include two-tone paint and a moonroof, with the top XSE model under $35,000.
The literal Corolla of SUVs will start at $29,305 with a hybrid powertrain for the 2023 model year. The 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid will come in three trim levels and will top out at $35,090 for the top-of-the-line XSE trim with all available options.
The nonhybrid 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross starts at $24,395, and you get more than just better efficiency for your five grand. For one thing, the hybrid model has slightly different front and rear styling. Also, while the base engine in the nonhybrid version produces just 169 horsepower, the hybrid system uses three electric motors for a combined output of 196 hp.
The good news is that the all-wheel-drive Corolla Cross Hybrid comes with a fuel-economy improvement as well. While the nonhybrid Corolla Cross models are rated at either 30 or 32 combined mpg by the EPA, Toyota said it expects the EPA will rate all grades of the Corolla Cross Hybrid at 42 combined mpg.
Depending on gas prices in the coming years, someone planning to keep the Corolla Cross for about a decade would be able to recoup the increased cost of the hybrid model based on fuel efficiency. To run just one example of an average American driver putting on 13,500 miles a year, they’d need 450 gallons of gas in the 30-mpg nonhybrid Corolla Cross. In the hybrid? Just 322. At this weekend’s average national price of $3.60 a gallon, the hybrid driver could save $461 at the pump.
Some of the money saved on fuel could be used to option up the new Corolla Cross Hybrid. Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard in all of these models, and it includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane-departure alert with steering assist, and dynamic radar cruise control, among other features. The lone optional feature that’s somewhat safety related is the adaptive headlights, which can be had for $615 on the XSE trim.
Other options include a more premium JBL sound system ($800), a moonroof ($940), and two ways to make your vehicle stand out paint-wise. There are six standard exterior paint colors and one that costs extra (Wind Chill Pearl, $425). There are also four $500 two-tone color combinations that add a black roof.
Finally, a $1250 convenience package is available. Toyota doesn’t specifically say what’s included in this package, but what appears to be the same option on the nonhybrid Corolla Cross includes a moonroof and power liftgate.
The only option for the S base trim is the optional color. All other options can be had on the SE trim, which starts at $31,625, or the XSE, starting at $32,400. An 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the voice-controlled “Hey Toyota” Intelligent Assistant is standard, as are 17-inch alloy wheels and LED headlamps. The SE trim adds two important convenience features—blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert—as well as roof rails and paddle shifters. The XSE grade gets 18-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, and a power driver’s seat.
The 2023 Corolla Cross Hybrid will arrive at Toyota dealerships in June. Toyota will build the car at the new Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama.
Contributing Editor
Sebastian Blanco has been writing about electric vehicles, hybrids, and hydrogen cars since 2006. His articles and car reviews have appeared in the New York Times, Automotive News, Reuters, SAE, Autoblog, InsideEVs, Trucks.com, Car Talk, and other outlets. His first green-car media event was the launch of the Tesla Roadster, and since then he has been tracking the shift away from gasoline-powered vehicles and discovering the new technology’s importance not just for the auto industry, but for the world as a whole. Throw in the recent shift to autonomous vehicles, and there are more interesting changes happening now than most people can wrap their heads around. You can find him on Twitter or, on good days, behind the wheel of a new EV.