2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Specs, Price, MPG

2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Specs, Price, MPG   –  For all the books, television shows, and movies made over the years about the dystopian future, none was able to predict what’s playing out in the parking lots around us. The crossover revolution has arrived, and it’s taking the market’s cars in the process.

Embracing it isn’t so bad; what they lack in personality they make up for with practicality and, at least when all-wheel drive is along for the ride, peace of mind. That seems like a fair and fitting introduction for the latest to join the uprising: the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross. There can be no denying the advantages this subcompact has compared to its namesake car when it comes to size and space. But there’s a literal price to pay for what this crossover has in its favour. 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Specs

2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Redesign and Update Plan

Exterior and Interior

Like just about every other Toyota product, the Corolla Cross stands out for its turnkey approachability. There are no finicky controls or confusing labels to be found – just familiar ones found precisely where they should be. The infotainment interface is far from flashy but it’s effective, with a host of buttons and knobs flanking the screen and a simple menu structure. The buttons themselves are a little on the small side, as are their corresponding labels, but they’re useful. Take the one marked “map”; while no trim features built-in navigation, it works as a shortcut to pull up Google (or Apple) Maps with a smartphone plugged in – convenient when jumping from, say, the radio to either Android or iOS interface. On the flipside, those connections are wired instead of wireless, while there’s only a single USB-A port in the front half of the cabin.

This crossover’s simplicity goes beyond interacting with its various functions and features, with outstanding fundamentals, too. The rear doors don’t open as wide as they perhaps could, but the ones up front do, while all four extend to the bottoms of the rocker panels, protecting pant legs from road grime in the process. Likewise, the tailgate opening is wide, while the liftover height is reasonably low. The increased ride height makes entry and exit easy, with nothing more than a lateral motion required for occupants of varying height. Once in the driver’s seat, the tall glass all around results in good outward visibility, while the door mirrors are located far enough back to make the quarter glass useful for spotting pedestrians in crosswalks when turning.

2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Specs

All-wheel drive may not be standard, but a decent selection of good stuff is. The entry-level L trim skips some basics like a cargo privacy cover and rear window wiper, for instance, but has heated front seats, power windows and locks, air conditioning, and heated door mirrors, among others. 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Specs

Moving to the LE adds alloy wheels, tinted windows, automatic climate control, a heated steering wheel, an eight-inch touchscreen, and two USB ports on the back of the centre console – none of it exactly revolutionary, but certainly enough to make the Corolla Cross a competitive offering. That trim’s Premium package ($2,100) includes a selection of features from the range-topping XLE trim like roof rails, a power sunroof, and a wireless phone charger. Meanwhile, the top trim also gets a nine-speaker stereo, satellite radio, dual-zone automatic climate control, synthetic leather upholstery, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, a height-programmable power tailgate, and larger 18-inch alloy wheels, as well as standard all-wheel drive.

Engine and Performance

At least at this point, there’s only one engine available: a 2.0L four-cylinder that’s proven adequate in other applications, but is positively anemic here. While the trouble could be limited to all-wheel drive models such as this, the Corolla Cross manages to feel bogged down in a way its siblings simply don’t.  2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Specs

Get on the gas and there’s plenty of ruckus but limited results, with passing and merging requiring strategic planning. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) undoubtedly contributes to the trouble, with the combination not especially refined in this application. It has a conventional first gear to get rolling, but once it shifts past it there’s a noticeable lack of guts.

2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Fuel Economy

The on-demand way in which the available all-wheel drive system operates ensures optimal fuel efficiency – an area in which the Corolla Cross excels next to its peers. With a combined consumption rating of 7.8 L/100 km (that number drops to 7.3 in a front-wheel drive format), it’s one of the only all-wheel-drive crossovers on the market to come in below 8.0.

With a massive winter storm arriving at the start of a week-long test of this Toyota, a 255-km evaluation drive across an area still digging out from as much as 60 cm (23.6 in) of snowfall finished at a respectable 7.9 L/100 km. The final tally for the week stood at 8.9 over the course of about 680 km, including quite a bit of extra city driving.  2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Specs

Meant to cut consumption – and emissions in the process – is an ignition stop-start system that shuts the engine off when stopped rather than idling. It’s also nothing new, having been in use for years now across the industry. However, it didn’t feel especially well executed here, with the entire vehicle lurching forward aggressively when the engine came back on.

2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Safety Features

Although blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert is not included in the lowest grade, it does come with all other cutting-edge safety features. This includes automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning and following assistance, automatic high-beam headlights, adaptive cruise control that functions in stop-and-go traffic, and front collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist recognition. Moreover, low-speed reverse automated braking is added with the XLE trim.

That those features are found throughout the lineup is unquestionably commendable, although they perhaps aren’t quite as refined as some competitor systems. For instance, Toyota’s lane-following function, which it calls “lane tracing,” isn’t quite as smooth as others on the market, applying near-constant steering micro-corrections, while there’s no separate lane-keep assist like competitors including Kia and Nissan offer.  2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Specs

2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Price and Release Date

That’s the kind of feature one might reasonably expect here given how much more expensive this is than the rest of the Corolla family. Just look at the Corolla Hybrid and its optional Premium package, or the conventional Corolla sedan done up in this same XLE trim: both cars barely break $29,000 before tax. Even the most expensive hatchback model barely touches $31,000. This tester? Try $35,880 once its non-negotiable $1,890 freight charge has been factored in.

It’s not just the availability of all-wheel drive that’s to blame, either, although it does play a significant role. Factored into the asking price here isn’t just the features but the very fundamentals of this crossover. The increased ride height and (mostly) improved interior dimensions are why the cheapest Corolla Cross model is still thousands of dollars more than comparable siblings.