When the World Car of the Year and Women’s World Car of the Year judges evaluate vehicles, we take lots of issues into account. Of course, we drive the vehicles – a task that hasn’t been made easier by the pandemic, it must be said – but then we also dissect each and every aspect of the car with a fine-tooth comb.

There are rational aspects that we consider: safety, quality, value for money, price, performance, level of innovation, market significance and the environmental footprint of the car. Those aspects can be judged fairly objectively.

Then there are the all-important subjective issues which, after all, can make the world of a difference when it comes to actually buying a car. We consider issues such as the interior and exterior design, the actual driving experience and the car’s emotional appeal. These issues are often the source of heated debates amongst jury members: I may adore the design of a car while another judge may think it is ghastly. In a similar vein, one vehicle may get my pulse racing while another judge may think it has the emotional appeal of a toaster.

In all of these instances, neither of us is right nor wrong. It’s a matter of opinion, of course – but the sum of those opinions ultimately normally results in highly deserving category and overall winners in both contests.

This brings me to the vehicle that has got the judges’ heads turning on all corners of the globe, namely the Toyota Corolla Cross. What makes it such a good vehicle? I’m going to answer this question by considering the various judging criteria in both contests.

When the World Car of the Year and Women’s World Car of the Year judges evaluate vehicles, we take lots of issues into account. Of course, we drive the vehicles – a task that hasn’t been made easier by the pandemic, it must be said – but then we also dissect each and every aspect of the car with a fine-tooth comb.

When the World Car of the Year and Women’s World Car of the Year judges evaluate vehicles, we take lots of issues into account. Of course, we drive the vehicles – a task that hasn’t been made easier by the pandemic, it must be said – but then we also dissect each and every aspect of the car with a fine-tooth comb.

There are rational aspects that we consider: safety, quality, value for money, price, performance, level of innovation, market significance and the environmental footprint of the car. Those aspects can be judged fairly objectively.

Then there are the all-important subjective issues which, after all, can make the world of a difference when it comes to actually buying a car. We consider issues such as the interior and exterior design, the actual driving experience and the car’s emotional appeal. These issues are often the source of heated debates amongst jury members: I may adore the design of a car while another judge may think it is ghastly. In a similar vein, one vehicle may get my pulse racing while another judge may think it has the emotional appeal of a toaster.

In all of these instances, neither of us is right nor wrong. It’s a matter of opinion, of course – but the sum of those opinions ultimately normally results in highly deserving category and overall winners in both contests.

This brings me to the vehicle that has got the judges’ heads turning on all corners of the globe, namely the Toyota Corolla Cross. What makes it such a good vehicle? I’m going to answer this question by considering the various judging criteria in both contests.

Design

The Corolla Cross really ticks all the design boxes. The exterior – which fuses the striking design language of the Corolla Sedan and Hatch models with the shape of an SUV – is funky yet elegant, modern yet stylish and bold yet harmonious. I love the signature exterior design features – the utterly enormous trapezoidal radiator grille and broad “upswept” lower bumper with vertical accent lines, for instance.

The interior continues the design success story. It looks elegant and upmarket, while affording the driver and occupants exceptional comfort. The ergonomics are excellent, and I love the soft-touch materials that populate the interior. I also particularly like the fact that the Corolla Cross has three USB ports throughout the range (with the exception of the entry-level Corolla Cross 1.8 Xi CVT, which has one).

Driving experience

Seating five adults in comfort, the Corolla Cross is the perfect car for a family road trip. It has loads of luggage space, the ride is exceptionally good, and it delivers a composed and controlled response to most surfaces and road conditions. Visibility – helped by large door mirrors and the elevated seating position so typical of SUVs – is very good all round.

Performance

The Corolla Cross delivers the performance one would expect from a family SUV. Two engines are up for grabs – a conventional petrol motor and a hybrid petrol-electric powertrain – and both are mated to Toyota’s latest generation CVT transmission.

The 1.8-litre VVTi 2ZR-FE petrol engine boasts 103 kW of power and 173 Nm of torque (torque delivery is particularly strong in the mid-range).

With the hybrid model, a 72 kW/142 Nm 1.8-litre 2ZR-FXE Atkinson cycle petrol engine is joined by an electric motor with outputs of 53 kW and 163 Nm. This model really is a blast to drive because, in keeping with most hybrids and electric vehicles, it’s super quick off the line.

Safety

Safety is pretty much a given with all modern Toyotas and the Cross doesn’t disappoint in this regard. An anti-theft system, auto door-lock, Isofix anchor points, driver plus passenger plus side airbags, Vehicle Stability Control, ABS, EBD and Hill Assist Control are standard across the range. The flagship XR models also boast Toyota Safety Sense, which comprises Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Trace Assist and a Pre-Collision System.

Quality

Toyota has been synonymous with quality for decades and, with the Corolla Cross, you get more of the same. The build quality is superb; when you examine the car inside and out, it’s impossible not to feel Proudly South African (since, of course, it is built here).

Value for money/price

Pricing is keen and – bearing in mind that the vehicle comes with a six-services/90 000 km service plan as standard – it represents very good value for money. Pricing starts at R349 900 for the Corolla Cross 1.8 Xi and the range-topping Corolla Cross 1.8 Hybrid XR costs R448 300. My pick of the range is the Corolla Cross 1.8 Hybrid Xs. It doesn’t have one or two of the features of the XR, but it does have the all-important hybrid – and the price of R413 000 is mighty appealing.

Market significance

This is a very significant model within the automotive market – because it’s the first time that the Corolla is offered in SUV guise. Given the immense global following of the other Corolla models and the ongoing growth of the SUV segment, this is a momentous model launch indeed.

Environmental footprint

The big news – from an environmental point of view – is the introduction of hybrid technology in the Corolla Cross range. This technology ticks two very important boxes. From the motorist’s point of view, hybrid technology offers the benefits of lower emissions (a mere 98 g/km CO₂) and significantly reduced fuel consumption (just 4.3L/100 km).

But it’s not only the motorists who benefit; Toyota has made a clear commitment to working towards carbon neutrality – and the Corolla Cross is an important step on this journey.

Emotional appeal

Here in South Africa, the Corolla is an icon. The locally manufactured car is so important to motorists and the economy alike that the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, even travelled to the Toyota plant in Durban for the celebration of the opening of the Corolla Cross production line in Prospecton, KwaZulu-Natal.

But the Corolla isn’t just much loved in sunny South Africa. All over the world, there is a strong emotional attachment to the Corolla name. It has been around since 1966 when the first Corolla – a compact city car – was born. With over 50 million global sales, it is one of the most successful and most loved vehicle model ranges ever.

And, having driven the latest model, it isn’t hard to understand why.