UMW Toyota Motor recently welcomed its first ever locally assembled Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) in the form of the all-new Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid.
Available in five colours – Celestite Grey Metallic, Silver Metallic, Nebula Blue Metallic, Platinum White Pearl and Red Mica Metallic, the new Corolla Cross Hybrid Electric is priced at RM136,550 (without insurance).
On top of the 5-year/unlimited mileage factory warranty, UMWT is also offering a separate 8-year/unlimited mileage warranty for the hybrid battery pack, inverter and Power Management Control Unit.
Customers can also extend their warranty for a further two years to make it a total of 10 years for slightly less than RM3,000. This is further supported by a service network of over 92 outlets which are fully equipped to give customers the required service for their hybrids.
Powering the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is the same 1.8-litre 4-cylinder 16-valve DOHC engine as the non-hybrid Corolla Cross which produces 98 PS and 142 Nm of torque.
The engine is paired with an electric motor that makes 72 PS and 163 Nm, as well as a nickel hydride battery that brings the total system output to 122 PS. The power is sent exclusively to the front wheels via an E-CVT. Meanwhile, fuel consumption is rated at 23.3 km per litre.
Built on Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform, the Corolla Cross Hybrid looks almost identical to the non-hybrid version, except for a couple of small differences like the Toyota logo, headlights, and carpet mats that come with Blue accents on the Hybrid. The Corolla Cross Hybrid also weighs 25 kg more than its non-hybrid siblings.
Other features that are exclusive to the Corolla Cross Hybrid includes the 7-inch Colour TFT screen versus the non-hybrid versions’ 4-inch TFT display, and four driving modes (Eco, Normal, EV, Sport). The non-hybrid variants unfortunately don’t come with different driving modes.
It is also worth mentioning that the Corolla Cross Hybrid has the same amount of boot space (440 litres) as the non-hybrid variants, unlike most hybrids out there that sacrifice luggage space due to the positioning of the hybrid battery in the boot.
Where safety is concerned, the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid comes with 7 airbags and Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) suite of driver assistance features, comprising the Pre-Collision System (PCS), Lane Departure Alert (LDA) with Steering Assist, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) and Automatic High Beam (AHB).
These technologies use a radar and camera which are complemented by other safety technologies such as a Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) with Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Tyre Pressure Warning System (TPWS), and seven SRS airbags giving drivers and passengers peace of mind while on the road.
The Corolla Cross Hybrid Electric is also equipped with a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) at the front. Features like the rear DVR and wireless charging are available as an option.
Other standard features in the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid include leather seats, a powered driver seat, rear air vents, and a nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system which supports Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay as well as Android Auto.
Additionally, a Vehicle Telematics System (VTS) can track the vehicle’s position using GSM/GPS signals. The owner can also monitor the ignition status and vehicle speed if the vehicle is stolen, a 24/7 Command Centre will locate it and inform relevant authorities to recover it. The good news is that all Corolla Cross variants come with a 3-year free subscription of the VTS.
