Fuel economy a winner for Toyota Corolla Cross GR-S
· Citizen
New energy vehicles are one of the fastest-growing segments, not only globally but in South Africa too, and Toyota is in the right place, at the right time, with their hybrid offerings.
Number one in SA
With just one such offering being the country’s number one passenger vehicle. The Toyota Corolla Cross. It is the one legacy brand SUV nameplate that has so far managed to successfully fight off the Chinese.
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Which brings me to the announcement that our very own long-term Toyota Corolla Cross GR-S HEV has arrived just in time for the fuel price crunch. And it was while I was still mulling over what my opening story would be that I made a last-minute decision to go down to the South Coast over the Easter weekend.
The GR-S takes its styling cues from Gazoo Racing, with red interior trim and GR badges throughout. Picture: Mark JonesHoliday traffic chaos
I did have a moment or two when I saw the N3 traffic chaos on social media and thought that this was probably the worst idea I have had in years. But since our car only had 400 km on the clock, and we had the whole day to drive less than 700 km, a very chilled fuel-conscious drive was in my future.
Under the hood of the car is the now well-known 1.8-litre naturally aspirated / lithium battery combination that is good for a combined 90 kW of power and 142 Nm of torque. On paper, this does not sound like a lot, especially for a car wearing a GR-S badge.
The Corolla Cross is built on Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform. Picture: Mark JonesCombined hybrid power
And it’s not if we are being blunt. But these numbers are more about weird Japanese accounting than they are about reality on the move. Let me explain.
The engine itself is rated at 72 kW and 142 Nm. And the self-charging 1.3 kWh battery adds another 90 kW and 163 Nm. But for reasons only known to Toyota, they don’t combine the two in their quoted data.
Meaning that the car has more go on the road than the numbers in the brochure promise. And more than enough to sit easily at the national speed limit and above if you so desire.
Which is exactly where I dialled in the adaptive radar cruise control for our trip. At the posted speed limits all the way from 60 km/h to 120 km/h on the N3.
Reduced fuel consumption
The claimed fuel consumption number for the Toyota Corolla Cross GR-S HEV is a mere 4.3 litres per 100 km/h. But everybody knows that this will not happen in the real world. Especially on the open road, where one can’t make use of the ‘EV only’ mode of the car to reduce fuel consumption even further.
And it didn’t happen for us either. But I can report that we averaged an exceptionally good 5.7 litres per 100 km over the entire journey. This, in simple maths terms, translates into a trip there and back that cost us only R1 850 in fuel. That’s substantially less than it would cost to fill and run our ‘fuel-efficient’ turbodiesel double-cab bakkie.
The Toyota Corolla Cross offers drive modes to suit your driving style. Picture: Mark JonesCVT remains annoying
Is there a mechanical downside to the Toyota Corolla Cross GR-S HEV? And the short answer is yes. No matter the manufacturer, a Constant Variable Transmission (CVT) will always be the last choice for me.
Around the suburbs, you will barely notice it go about its job. But accelerate hard or try maintaining highway-type speeds, and it sends a very unnecessary whine into the cabin. Dare I say it, even Toyota’s good old-fashioned four-speed auto from the likes of their Urban Cruiser
Next month…
Demonstrating exactly why the Toyota Corolla Cross is so popular in this country. Barely had our GR-S HEV arrived back from its time at the beach, and it was booked to be called into family service again for a planned trip to the Kruger National Park.
The Toyota Corolla Cross is comfortable both on-road and off-road. Picture: Mark JonesPricing
- Corolla Cross 1.8 GR-S HEV – R569 700
All Toyota Corolla Cross models are sold with a six-services / 90 000 km service plan (intervals at 15 000 km) and a three-year / 100 000 km warranty. The hybrid battery is covered by an eight-year / 160 000 km warranty. Service and warranty plan extensions are available through Toyota’s national dealer network.