Toyota Corolla Cross: pricing and specification details released

Australia’s number one car brand is poised to extend its dominance of the market with a new softroader based on its most popular car.

The new Toyota Corolla Cross SUV will be available as a hybrid. Picture: Supplied.

Toyota has released pricing for its new Corolla-based compact SUV, which arrives in October.

The Corolla Cross will be priced from $33,000 plus on-road costs for the two-wheel-drive GX petrol version, $2000 more than Toyota’s smaller C-HR model and about $4000 cheaper than its best-selling RAV4.

A hybrid version of the vehicle will start from $35,500, while all-wheel drive versions will cost an extra $3000.

A new hybrid AWD flagship model, called the Atmos, will cost $49,050 plus on-roads.

The new Corolla Cross will be more practical and look more conventional than the C-HR, which features sharply creased panels and narrow windows.

It will be offered with a choice of 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol and hybrid engines.

The new Toyota Corolla Cross will slot in between the C-HR and RAV4. Picture: Supplied.

It will also provide cheaper access to hybrid technology than the C-HR range, whose cheapest hybrid option starts at $37,665 plus on-roads.

Hybrids are likely to make up the majority of Corolla Crosses sold – they make up almost 70 per cent of RAV4 sales and 30 per cent of the brand’s total sales.

The arrival of the Corolla Cross continues the rush of hybrids into the local market.

Kia and Haval have recently introduced new hybrids and have more in the pipeline, while Nissan and Hyundai.

The trend coincides with the Federal Government flagging plans to introduce a mandated CO2 emissions target for the car industry, with penalties for noncompliance.

The new SUV will cement Toyota’s dominant position in the SUV market. Picture: Supplied.

Hybrids typically use less than a third of the fuel of conventional vehicles and unlike petrol cars, are more efficient in bumper to bumper traffic than on the highway.

Hybrid sales are up by close to 15 per cent this year in a new-car market that is down by almost 5 per cent.

That growth would be stronger if not for a lack of supply of the RAV4 hybrid, which has delivery waiting times stretching out past 12 months.

The cheapest GX Corolla Cross comes well equipped with an 8-inch centre touchscreen supporting wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, as well as push-button start and digital radio.

More expensive models will have satellite navigation. Picture: Supplied.

Every Corolla Cross will get the latest driver aids including lane-keep and blind-spot assist, active cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert and auto emergency braking.

The GXL model starts at $36,750 and adds leather-accented seats, a bigger 10.5-inch touchscreen with satnav, USB ports for rear passengers and more safety features.

The Atmos starts at $43,550 and adds a sunroof, full leather upholstery and a large digital display in front of the driver.

The new model will increase Toyota’s dominance of the Australian car market. It already accounts for roughly one in five SUV sales, while its HiLux ute has been the nation’s number one selling vehicle for the past six years.