2023 Toyota Corolla Cross GX review

When it comes to new cars, there’s no shortage of opinions, but often we’ll see people who want ‘one with the lot'. On the other hand, there is another smaller camp of new car buyers that want the simplest car they can buy.

Enter the Toyota Corolla Cross. It’s Toyota’s second entrant in the small SUV class, but unlike the dramatically styled C-HR, the Corolla Cross focuses on space and practicality.

While it may not pack on the glitz and glamour of some of its rivals, the Corolla Cross is what its Corolla hatch counterpart has been for years: a simple and accessible new car with stacks of appeal to a broad range of Aussie buyers.

In its simplest form, the Corolla Cross GX doesn’t scrimp on safety or technology, but it does hold back on some of the more luxe features from higher grades in the range. While it may not be the most attention-grabbing small SUV out there, there’s still plenty to like about it.

Toyota offers the Corolla Cross with a choice of two engines in Australia.

The one we’re testing here is a 2.0-litre non-turbocharged petrol shared with the Corolla hatch and sedan. It is also possible to option a 2.0-litre hybrid powertrain. Petrol versions are front-wheel drive only, while the hybrid is available with either front- or all-wheel drive.

To get your foot in the door of the Corolla Cross range, the base-model Corolla Cross GX asks for $33,000 plus on-road costs.

While it may be the entry point to the range, the Corolla Cross GX comes with a slew of standard features with highlights like dusk-sensing LED headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, single-zone climate control, cloth seat trim, a 7.0-inch driver info display, 8.0-inch infotainment, keyless entry and start, electric park brake, and more.

As you move through the range, Toyota adds bigger screens, bigger wheels, more chrome trim, leather trim and more. But even though the Corolla Cross GX may not be the one with everything, it includes plenty of modern must-haves.

Whereas the Corolla hatch has received criticism for its relative lack of rear seat space, it may be a little surprising to learn that the Corolla Cross uses the shorter wheelbase of the hatch and not the longer sedan platform.

While it looks bigger from the outside, that means the Corolla Cross doesn’t offer a game-changing amount of additional space, though it does feel less intimate for passengers. There is a little bit of extra room in the rear for knees and a reclining rear backrest if needed.

Importantly, the taller roof line of the Corolla Cross means there’s plenty of headroom front and rear, and a taller step-in height makes getting in and out a breeze.

Up front, the dashboard design is similar to that of the Corolla, albeit taller and a little less angular, but the stylistic relationship remains. Materials are similar too, with soft-touch dash surfacing but hard plastics on the doors and minimal use of brightwork on the interior.

Toyota loads some really thoughtful storage options into bigger SUVs like the RAV4 and Kluger, but the Corolla Cross doesn’t follow that path. For me, the small storage space at the base of the centre stack was too small for a phone, and even a bit slim for a wallet.

There’s a pair of cupholders in the console, but the gear selector and park brake switch seem to waste a lot of space, pushing the cupholders awkwardly rearward.

Keeping in mind that the Corolla Cross GX is the entry-level model, the steering wheel has a urethane rim instead of leather. The fabric seat trim is a little on the drab side, but while it lacks colour and contrast, it looks hardy and should hopefully pass the test of time looking just fine.

The 436L boot of the GX model is the largest of any Corolla Cross variant and sits about average for the class with the 429L Nissan Qashqai, a little behind the 468L Kia Seltos but ahead of the 374L Hyundai Kona.

The boot can be expanded via the 60:40 folding rear seat, but there is a step in the boot floor with the seats folded. A retractable cargo cover helps keep your cargo from view, and beneath the boot floor you’ll find a non-matching 17-inch temporary-use spare wheel.

The Corolla Cross uses Toyota’s new-generation infotainment system, which looks similar to previous iterations at first glance, but updates menus and functionality along with clearer graphics and snappier load times.

The Corolla Cross GX uses an 8.0-inch display and features six-speaker audio, AM/FM and digital radio, and smartphone projection with wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto access.

While it may not be particularly fancy or high-end, it gets the job done with good radio reception and trouble-free smartphone mirroring.

Toyota Connected Services are also offered with the Corolla Cross. The first 12 months are complimentary, offering remote access via a smartphone app to check things like fuel level, parking location, remote lock and unlock, voice control of some vehicle functions, connected navigation and more.

At the end of the complimentary period, Toyota offers a basic connection package for $9.95 per month or a more comprehensive package (equal to that of the complimentary package) that includes multimedia functions for $12.50 per month.

All variants of the Corolla Cross range (be they petrol or hybrid) carry a five-star ANCAP safety rating awarded in 2022.

The Corolla Cross scored 85 per cent for adult occupant protection, 88 per cent for child occupant protection, 87 per cent for vulnerable road user (pedestrian) protection, and 83 per cent for safety assist systems.

From the Corolla Cross GX up, Toyota’s range of inclusions covers autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection and intersection intervention, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-change assist, road sign recognition, automatic high beam, and all-speed adaptive cruise control bundled together under the Toyota Safety Sense banner.

Blind-spot monitoring with safe exit assist and rear cross-traffic alert are also included. It features a total of eight airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag, centre-front airbag, plus dual front, front side, and curtain airbags.

Toyota’s safety systems worked well during our time with the car, free from false positives, though anecdotally the lane-centring function doesn’t seem to be as persistent as in earlier versions of the Corolla hatch and sedan.

It’s worth noting, too, that the Corolla Cross GX lacks front or rear park sensors and comes only with a rear-view camera, whereas higher-grade models add sensors, parking support braking, and 360-degree-view cameras.

Toyota has one of the more affordable capped-price service programs, so the first five dealership visits (at 12-month/15,000km intervals) will cost $250 per visit or a total of $1250 over five years.

Toyota offers a standard five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, but adds two additional years of engine and drivetrain warranty for cars that adhere to logbook servicing. For vehicles used commercially (including rideshare), the warranty is capped at five years or 160,000km.

Comprehensive insurance for the Corolla Cross GX came to $1341 per year based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

The Corolla Cross carries an official fuel consumption rating of 6.0 litres per 100 kilometres in mixed use.

During our time with the car, we split usage evenly between stop-start city driving and steady freeway driving, and came back with a 6.8L/100km figure.

While it may not sound like high praise at first, the experience behind the wheel of the Corolla Cross is largely unremarkable. That’s a good thing, though.

Designed to be something of a jack-of-all-trades, the Corolla Cross has mainstream appeal. It’s easy to drive, free of idiosyncrasies, and adaptable to a range of driving situations.

With a 2.0-litre non-turbo engine under the bonnet producing 126kW and 202Nm, the Corolla Cross slots into the thick of its segment, though some small SUVs claim more power and others less.

It's a balanced choice. Enough zing to get off the line smartly, but for the most part happier to trundle at a more relaxed pace. Find yourself shuffling through peak-hour traffic often? There's not much to dislike about how the Corolla Cross handles itself.

There’s no manual option either. The sole transmission available for the petrol-powered Corolla Cross is a CVT automatic, albeit one that uses a traditional first gear before changing over to a typical stepless continuously variable transmission.

It’s a system that works and helps quell that ‘stretchy’ feel some CVTs have. If you floor the accelerator, you can still get some drone as revs sit at one point for a little longer than they should, but in day-to-day shuffling about town, the Corolla Cross behaves nicely.

The interior stays mostly quiet, be it around town or on the highway. Engine noise is low and tyre noise is well managed on most surfaces. The only complaint I have is some wind noise around the front pillars in some conditions, though nothing too intrusive.

While it may be used in a variety of settings, the Corolla Cross has a distinctly urban-friendly feel. Its steering is light, and perhaps lacking a little in feel, but overall it’s settled and user-friendly in tight confines, which no doubt matters most.

The suspension does a good job of blotting out the imperfections it encounters. On the softer side, the ride copes well with cobbles and corrugations and doesn’t seem to be adversely impacted by adding a rear passenger or two.

While it might lack some of the bells and whistles of variants higher up the range, the entry-level Corolla Cross makes a lot of sense.

It’s an earnest little car. It addresses some of the packaging issues of the Corolla hatch, is easier to get in and out of, but maintains the easy-to-drive and easy-to-use nature that defines the Corolla experience.

The range of standard equipment covers the essentials, and without too much extra on top, there’s no steep learning curve. You’ll be familiar with the Corolla Cross in no time.

Whereas high-grade variants feel expensive for the class, the far cheaper entry model feels very much like the right car at the right price.