2025 Toyota Corolla Cross GR Sport review

No nameplate is more familiar in Aotearoa’s motoring landscape than the Corolla. 

The 2022 launch of the Corolla Cross only added the model’s breadth and appeal. A strategic yet inevitable addition in this age of SUVs. 

So pumping up the ride height, extending the roofline and adding more space in the boot was always going to be a winner.

Or was it?

Unlike the Corolla hatch and fashion-focused CH-R that share the same platform, the first-generation Corolla Cross never really fought for your attention. 

Maybe that was the point. However, this new facelifted Corolla Cross has been glammed up with changes designed to make you take notice. And the changes are more than skin deep.

How much does the Corolla Cross cost?

As before, entry GX, mid-level GXL & high-grade Limited models continue. But now there’s a new model atop the lineup with the introduction of the Corolla Cross GR Sport.

While there are four model variants, there are actually six individual models to choose from in the MY26 Corolla Cross lineup. GX,GXL, Limited and GR Sport models come in six no-cost colour options, and now Limited and GR Sport lines are available in three, two tone shades. Ash grey, Frosted white and a striking Emotional red like our tester seen her. Each two tone colour is matched with a Ebony roofline for an extra $1000.

Positioned as a small, practical SUV, the Corolla Cross Hybrid competes in one of New Zealand’s most competitive new car market segments. 

Competition is rife between established brands and an ever-growing list of brow-raising, price-savvy newcomers. Traditional rivals like the Kia Niro, Hyundai Kona, Honda HR-V and Suzuki S-Cross are now joined by fresh nameplates fighting for the same buyer, namely the MG ZS and Cherry Tiggo 4.

Unperturbed with hybrid technology? Then the likes of the Mazda CX-30, Skoda Kamiq and Mitsubishi ASX also fall into the same category.

A long list, yet perhaps its biggest competition may well come from within. The Corolla Cross could sit in the goldilocks zone of Toyota’s SUV lineup, measuring a mere 100mm longer than the funky compact CH-R and 160mm shorter than the sales-topping RAV4.

If the three cannot be separated by much in terms of physical footprint on the road, the difference becomes more straightforward when you consider pricing. Like-for-like, comparable model grades of the Corolla Cross come in $3,000 less than the CH-R, and $5,000 less than the new-generation RAV4 at retail.

The RAV4 is a mid-sized SUV so technically sits in a different category, nonetheless all three offer their own flavour within a very similar theme. So it shouldn’t be a surprise for buyers to look closely at all three.

What’s the Corolla Cross like inside?

Just like a Toyota Corolla.

They carry the same name and platform so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to find the Corolla Cross shares much of the same componentry as the Corolla Hatchback, but there are changes to be found.

Fresh for MY26 is a slightly bigger touchscreen infotainment system (10.5-inch vs 8-inch) for all grades bar the base GX, and directly underneath, two spaces to store mobile phones where in the hatch you’d only find one.

Curiously you can only charge one phone wirelessly at a time, so the front passenger will have to bring their own USB-C cord. No bother, there’s one USB-C port up front and two in the rear row, again, in all models except the base, which makes do with a single front USB-C outlet and no wireless charging.

From the driver's seat you’re greeted by a new 12.3-inch full colour drivers display that is easy to use while navigating drive modes, radio stations or checking in on fuel economy.

Move down further and the central tunnel, gear lever and switchgear for drive modes and heated seats are new. Like the vehicle's ride-height, the central tunnel does seem to be positioned slightly higher in the Cross versus the Hatch and that change does offer more legroom in both front  footwells.

In reality the carryover parts are no downer on the Corolla Cross as all major touchpoints and controls like the steering wheel and air conditioning switches are logically placed, easy to use and most importantly, still physical buttons, not jammed into the infotainment.

Hold the steering wheel at 9-and-3 and useful features like the adaptive cruise, menu scrolls and volume controls are literally at the tips of your thumbs. It might not be the most visually interesting place to be, because even in top-spec GR Sport form there’s a lot of black hard plastics here, but everything is thoughtfully laid out. 

Opening the rear door and hopping in the back seat was a surprise for all the wrong reasons. One of my biggest gripes with the Corolla hatch was rear leg and head room. I thought the Corolla Cross would fix both. I was half wrong.

Let's start with the positive. Rear head room is slightly improved in the Cross versus the hatch. You’d expect that from a SUV sitting 165mm higher. It’s not a massive change given the panoramic roof above but it’s an improvement nonetheless. If it feels too cramped, you can always open the sliding roof shade to reveal the panoramic glass roof.

However, leg room… yeah, nah.

I'm 6-foot and when the driver’s seat is set to my position I can fit behind, but only just. Knees pressed and feet crammed is okay for short journeys. For inter-city travel, I'd be rushing to secure a seat up front.

In the hatch I consider this a huge missed opportunity (how is a Suzuki Swift roomier!?). In the Corolla Cross it’s just annoying, especially for a 4.4-meter SUV. Maybe in the next generation, then. Or maybe reason enough for buyers to move up a class to a RAV4. Is that why they sell so well?

Related to this is boot space. In all-wheel-drive GR Sport form like our tester, luggage space is compromised compared to the rest of the Corolla Cross range due to a rear-mounted electric motor. 

Toyota states the hatch has a bigger luggage capacity than the GR Sport - 389-litres versus 384-litres respectively. I tested this with two full-size suitcases. In the Corolla Cross both fit easily, meanwhile I could only get one into the hatch and only just managed to close the boot - go figure. 

Anyhow, all other Corolla Cross models have 428 litres to play with and the entire range undoubtedly has a more usable space than the hatch.

Thankfully there are still reasons to be positive again. The 9-speaker JBL audio system thumps and with a few more adjustability could verge on excellent. 

The seats, finished in fabric & synthetic leather are very comfortable. In fact, just getting in the seats is comfortable even by SUV standards. 

With large door openings and increased seat height, it’s noticeably easier to get in and out compared to the hatch and feels more natural than the CH-R.

You really are looking at a jacked up Corolla and in this age of SUVs, it does make a lot of sense.

What’s under the bonnet?

Petrol-only variants were cut in 2024 so now all Corolla Cross models come equipped with the same 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder paired with Toyota’s fifth-generation hybrid transaxle and an electronically-controlled continuously variable transmission. 

They combine to produce 112kW of power and 188Nm of torque. The GR Sport featured here adds an additional electric motor on the rear axle to provide AWD capabilities, a first for any Corolla Cross offered in New Zealand. All other models are front-wheel-drive. Unfortunately for the GR Sport, there is no increase to performance.

There is no mechanical connection between the front and rear axles with the GR Sport. This leaves the petrol engine responsible for powering the front wheel, while a pair of electric motors can drive both the front and rear axles.

The Corolla Cross can move under electric power alone but only for a few kilometers at most. Toyota doesn’t actually publish an EV range for these models. As with previous generations of Toyota hybrid systems, the petrol engine, battery and electric motors are designed to work hand-in-hand across all conditions. 

Even with a small amount of charge, the Corolla Cross will start silently in EV mode, making an audible hum to warn pedestrians as you leave your driveway in the morning. Not long after, the petrol engine will fire into life. I found during relaxed commuting the engine will also wake up on occasion solely to charge the battery.

Toyota claims this new-generation hybrid was developed to deliver “impressive performance and outstanding fuel economy”, we’ll address the former soon, but in our time with the GR Sport the latter does stack up. The claimed 4.6L/100km fuel economy is easily achievable with mixed urban and motorway driving. For extended motorway runs, it might be a bit trickier to hit that figure as the petrol engine does the heavy lifting for prolonged periods.

Front-wheel-drive models claim 4.1L/100km, so I wouldn't be surprised to hear of discerning Corolla Cross drivers dipping under the 4-litre mark.

How does the Toyota Corolla Cross GR Sport drive?

While it’s true the GR Sport is not a full-fat GR offering like the GR Yaris or Corolla, the changes between this model and the rest of the Corolla Cross range are nonetheless significant. 

The first changes you’ll notice are visual. The GR Sport gets its own sporty front and rear bumper, grille and GR-badging. Under the new bodywork, things get much more serious.

It starts with the chassis. The rear has been reinforced to accommodate an extra electric motor at the rear axle and provide a better platform for the suspension, and that’s where perhaps the most surprising changes have been made. 

All other Corolla Cross models make do with a fairly simple and cheaper torsion beam rear suspension. The GR Sport features its own double wishbone setup, tuned specifically for this one variant. 

In fact, it was tuned by the same development drivers and engineers behind the GR Yaris and GR Sport. Take the latter out of the equation, and no other Corolla-badged model features a rear setup this sophisticated.

Unsurprising then that the GR Sport’s suspension provides a marked step up in performance and compliance compared to any other Corolla Cross model. 

The GR Sport sits 10mm lower than its siblings and it is slightly firmer but I never found it to be uncomfortable or jarring, so it shouldn’t upset the family. I found it to perform well over speed bumps, uneven tarmac or cambered country roads.

Then there’s the drivetrain. The Corolla Cross GR Sport is the only model in the lineup with AWD thanks to that extra electric motor powering the rear wheels. As you’d expect from a GR-branded model, the GR Sport also adds a dedicated ‘Sports Mode’ which forces the petrol engine to maintain higher RPM, keeping charge in the battery and maximising electric power delivery from the hybrid system.

Thankfully, it’s no gimmick. Sports Mode offers genuine EV-like performance, instant torque off the line and makes passing easily achievable with a quick stab of the throttle. For greater control in tricky conditions the GR Sport is fitted with a ‘Snow Extra’ drivemode.

Under hard acceleration the petrol engine can sound and act a bit overexcited at times, bursting into life suddenly then maintaining high revs for longer then you might expect. There’s a lot going on between driving the front wheels and charging the battery, so sometimes what you’re asking the car to do with your right foot, like relaxed cruising at 50km/h, and the engine revs and seem to be mismatched. 

Sports Mode also harvests energy more aggressively when you lift off the throttle, increasing deceleration and theoretically offering more control under braking. 

The brakes can take some getting used to if you’ve never driven a modern Toyota hybrid. The initial 10-20 percent of pedal travel seems to be taken care of by regenerative braking, then depressing the brake further engages the hydraulic brakes. That handover can be sudden and isn’t always the smoothest transition as braking performance increases significantly when the brake pads meet the disks.  

The calibration of the electronic power steering is much better. Like the suspension, the steering system has been specifically tuned for the GR Sport by Gazoo Racing for sharper response. The Changes do make this model feel racier and more engaging whether you’re just commuting or driving open country roads. The initial turn-in is sharp and it’s easy to be accurate, placing the SUV exactly where you want it is a breeze. 

The GR Sport also gains 19-inch wheels with much sportier Yokohama tyres. If anything, the package almost feels over-tyred and a bit too grippy for the power available and 1530 kilograms of SUV they have to keep in check. A part of me expects any GR-branded Toyota to move about a bit, but as a family SUV, sure footing and ample grip can only be a good thing.

Due to perfect Summer conditions during our test, I never got to try them out in the wet. Just rest assured in the dry, they provide more than adequate grip without ruining the ride or producing excess road noise.  

The six-speed CVT and paddle shifters are a bit more gimmicky and don’t really offer any benefit under heavy acceleration or braking, but they are there when you feel the need to increase revs for your next overtake. I found you can just leave it in drive and let the whole system know what you need with your right foot. Most of the time, it responds accordingly.

The performance won’t blow your mind like some EVs can, but the GR Sport feels much, much faster than its claimed 112kW and 188Nm has any right to be. 

What do you get?

Corolla Cross GX Hybrid

• 2.0-lire petrol hybrid
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Front-wheel-drive
• Toyota Safety Sence 
• Dual-zone climate control
• 7-inch digital drivers display
• 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display
• 6 speaker audio system
• USB-C
• Bi-Beam LED headlights
• Automatic high beam
• Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
• Radar cruise control
• Reversing camera
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Honeycomb-pattern front grille
• Body-coloured front bumper
  Fabric seats

GXL Hybrid

• 10.5-inch touchscreen infotainment display
• Satellite navigation
• Panoramic view monitor
• Wireless charging pad
• Heated front seats
• Fabric and leather-accented trim
• Satin-chrom interior trim
• LED fog lights
• LED rear lights
• Rear privacy glass
• Black roof rails
• Automatic rain-sensing wipers
• 2x Rear USB-C ports

Corolla Cross Limited Hybrid

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Panoramic roof
• Automatic tailgate with kick sensor
• 9-speaker JBL audio system
• 8-was power adjustable drivers seat
• Toyota Teammate Advanced Parking Assist
• Extended front LED lightbar
• 12.3-inch digital drivers display
• Interior LED accented lighting
• Leather-accented seats
• Ventilated front seats
• Corolla Cross Limited with Two Tone paint ($1,000 premium)
  

Corolla Cross GR Sport Hybrid (E-Four AWD)

• E-Four all-wheel-drive with rear electric motor
• Double wishbone rear suspension
• GR tuned suspension
• 19-inch GR sport wheels
• GR Sport front bumper and mesh grille
• Black exterior accents
• GR exterior badging
• Aluminium paddle shifters
• GR steering wheel
• GR Sport fabric & synthetic leather sports seats
• Aluminium sport pedals
• Red brake callipers
  
  

CarExpert’s take on the Corolla Cross GR Sport

Toyota engineers should be applauded for the job they’ve done with the Corolla Cross, especially the GR Sport.

Although it is physically bigger and heavier than the hatch it’s based on, they've managed to add an SUV body and all the benefits they bring without losing any of the approachability and everyday usability that’s made the hatch a legend for decades in New Zealand.  

With a more comfortable ride height, extra space in the boot and efficient powertrain, the Corolla Cross is undoubtedly a better choice for families looking for a one-car, do-it-all package that is safe and economical. Now facelifted, it does look better, too.

It’s by no means perfect. The rear row is annoyingly tight for a SUV, if your family and friends are tall and like me a bit…erm…fat, it is a limiting factor, a physically bigger SUV will be a better option.

The calibration of the hybrid powertrain isn’t always the smoothest experience, don’t expect PHEV-like bliss. And for some buyers, the top-spec model’s interiors will have far too many hard plastic surfaces to pass as premium.

In the case of the GR Sport specifically, It really got under my skin in a good way I didn’t expect, though I’m not convinced it’s the pick of the bunch. For me, the $47,990 GLX price and feature list is the sweet spot that would suit most people, most of the time.

There is an $11k variance between base Corolla Cross and Two Tone GR Sport, only $10k if you don't care for a black roof. You would have to really want those GR looks and AWD performance to make it that far up the range.

Yet to the GR Sport’s credit, given the changes to the chassis, bodywork, suspension, AWD ability with an extra electric motor and interior touches, the price is very reasonable. 

The changes over the rest of the lineup are significant and most importantly, effective. Hardcore track-focused GR Corolla aside, the Corolla Cross GR Sport is by far the most compliant and enjoyable Corolla-badged model I have driven.

It’s also worth pointing out that Toyota models aren’t always known for being the best value in their class, often charging a premium for their perceived reliability and dependability. In the case of the Corolla GR Sport, it could be argued that it’s a bit of a sporty, family-friendly and daily usable bargain.

Off the line at a set of lights or down a twisty road, this small $55k SUV will have no problem keeping premium small SUVs from Germany.

And barring an unfortunate shunt, I have no doubt the Corolla Cross GR Sport tested here will still be humming away 20 years from now. I cannot say the same for other SUVs in this class.