Toyota is expected to position the vehicle in what it considers white space above the C-HR but below the RAV4. The Corolla Cross is expected in U.S. dealerships by year-end, though timing remains unclear as it may slip into early 2022 given ongoing production issues.
It’s the second time in recent decades that Toyota has leveraged the Corolla name on a new model. The company marketed the Corolla Matrix, a hatchback, starting in 2003 until output ended in 2013.
Toyota’s existing crossovers in the lower end of the utility space are miles apart in terms of popularity in the U.S.: Through April, Toyota has sold 155,150 RAV4s in the U.S., up 37 percent, compared with just 15,643 C-HRs, an increase of 26 percent.
