One of Singapore’s best-selling nameplates is now available in SUV form, and the Toyota Corolla Cross looks set to extend the brand’s dominance in the market

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SINGAPORE

For as long as it has been around, the Toyota Corolla has been one of Singapore’s most popular automotive nameplates. Regardless of economic situation or COE fluctuations, the Corolla, in its various incarnations, have always sat somewhere near the top of the sales charts here, year after year, generation after generation.

It’s not hard to see why really. Solid, dependable and reliable, the Corolla fulfils the need of the vast majority of motorists who simply want a fuss-free car to go about their daily business.

But the requirements of today’s motorists are evolving, and for an increasing number of buyers, a simple sedan may not be sufficient for their needs any longer. It is in that vein that the Corolla Cross was conceived, with the car aiming to “suit the growing demand for SUVs” (Toyota’s own words). Effectively, the Corolla Cross aims to take all that is good with the classic Corolla, and translate them into a modern day SUV form factor.

Design

It seems that Toyota has not strayed too far from its philosophy, in that it has tried to make the Corolla Cross look as inoffensive as possible. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as most of its target customer base probably wouldn’t want something that stands out too much anyway.

There are some elements that point towards the car’s perceived SUV ruggedness, such as the black plastic wheel arches, the roof rails and the chunky 18-inch alloy wheels. But aside from that, the Corolla Cross comes across as just another ordinary crossover SUV on the road, and, certainly in our test car’s white colour anyway, simply blends in with traffic anonymously.

Just as well really, given that it’s only a matter of time before its ubiquitousness makes it part of Singapore’s road furniture. The large black front grille does try its best to cut an imposing figure, but as far as design goes, the Corolla Cross is as nondescript as it comes, with its general plainness and fairly ordinary design details.

The dimensions too are average, with the car measuring in at 4,460mm long, 1,825mm wide and 1,620mm tall. That obviously puts it right smack in between the Yaris Cross and RAV4 in Toyota’s SUV line-up, and the general sense is that the Corolla Cross is just about the right size for this segment, no more no less.

Page 2: Interior and Features

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