The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Toyota Indus Motor Company (IMC), Ali Asghar Jamali, revealed that the Corolla Cross will be officially launched in Pakistan by the end of 2020. Jamali added that a few of the vehicles have already been imported to be tested on Pakistani roads and in local traffic conditions.
The Corolla Cross is classified as a subcompact crossover SUV which implies that its direct competitors are most likely to be the Honda Vezel/HR-V, the Nissan Juke, the Suzuki Vitara, and the Toyota C-HR.
It was unofficially revealed a couple of months ago in a briefing by the IMC that the automaker will be introducing the Corolla Cross in Pakistan and as a Complete Built-up Unit (CBU) brought in from Thailand.
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Numerous speculations were made initially regarding the vehicle being priced between Rs. 6.5 million and Rs. 7.5 million. However, Pakwheels.com has recently reported via a ‘trusted source’ that the vehicle will be priced at Rs. 8.5 million, making it even more expensive than a Toyota Fortuner G – a mid-sized, 7-seater SUV with a price tag of Rs. 7.7 million.
The high price is reportedly because the vehicle is a CBU import, which is why the import price for the automaker also becomes incredibly high. Additionally, the company has no plans to locally manufacture the car in the foreseeable future.
Performance
The Corolla Cross reportedly features two versions of the company’s 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine in the international market. One has a standard, naturally-aspirated, petrol-powered engine that generates 140 hp and 175 Nm of torque. The other one has a hybrid powertrain that generates 98 hp and 142 Nm of Torque.
Although the hybrid assist brings this power figure up by a considerable degree, the electric motor produces an additional 72 hp and 163 Nm torque.
Both engines are mated to a 7-speed CVT automatic gearbox that sends power to the front wheels only. While there are two main variants of the vehicle, it is yet unknown which one is set to arrive in Pakistan.
Features
All the Corolla Cross variants reportedly have seven airbags, rear-seat air vents, 9.0-inch infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a proximity key with a push-button start, and reclining rear seats as the standard. Other features include LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, extra exterior brightwork, inbuilt navigation, leather seats with power-adjustable and heated front ones, a sunroof, a bigger 7.0-inch instrument display, 18-inch alloys, ambient interior illumination, an auto-dimming interior mirror, and a power tailgate.
As of now, these features exist in the international market version. It is yet to be seen whether or not the Pakistani version will get all of them. Given its price point, the Corolla Cross would seem to be a tough sell in Pakistan. There are many options in the market either at the same price or for much lesser than it that would make more sense than what is practically a slightly-lifted Corolla station-wagon. How successful the Corolla Cross will be at this price point in the market is something that only time will tell.
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