Made in SA: New Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid SUV set to be built locally

Toyota’s new Corolla Cross, due for release in South Africa in the fourth quarter of 2021, will offer “exceptional balance between drivability, roominess, comfort and high-tech features”, according to Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) president and CEO Andrew Kirby.

Kirby added that the Corolla Cross is ideal for the South African market as it “combines everything you love about Corolla with the utilitarian and rugged aesthetics of a segment-leading SUV”.

“As announced at the Presidential Investment Summit in November 2019, Toyota pledged to invest R2.43-billion in the production of a new passenger model, and I am so pleased to say that we are making good on that promise.”

Comprehensive specification, including pricing and models, will be released closer to the product launch in the fourth quarter of this year.

Toyota Corolla Cross: A game-changing SUV

“We will be manufacturing this very model [Corolla Cross] in both right- and left-hand drive…on schedule…for South Africa and the rest of Africa… right here at Prospecton! The Corolla Cross is based on the acclaimed new Corolla TNGA platform and will be built on our passenger car production line alongside the Corolla Quest.”

‘Couple of firsts’ for Toyota’s Prospecton Plant

TSAM’s executive vice president of manufacturing, Nigel Ward, said in addition to the investment, the local production of the Corolla Cross also ushers in a couple of “firsts” for TSAM’s manufacturing team at the Prospecton Plant, in Durban.

“This is a significant milestone for Toyota South Africa. It’s not often that we get to produce a brand-new body shape in our factory; plus it is the very first time that we will be manufacturing a Hybrid model which I believe will fast become a very popular choice. And it’s the first time for us to manufacture using the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) – which allows us to keep up with global technology and trends.”

While the Corolla Cross shares the same TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) C platform with its namesake Corolla, it boasts a higher ground clearance and other attributes normally associated with an SUV.

Commitment to SA automotive industry

From a skills and manufacturing point of view, Ward believes that – besides being a crisis of unparalleled proportions – COVID-19 has inadvertently encouraged plant production teams to be more self-reliant.

“Restriction on international travel due to COVID-19 necessitated that we rely on local expertise on many elements of the project instead of flying in engineers from Japan and Thailand. So, to ensure that we are on schedule to commence production in October, we have had to do a lot of things ourselves.”

“This project couldn’t have been possible without the policy certainty that has been established by the South African government, with the introduction of the APDP2 Trade-Related Investment Measure. This car, the all-new Corolla Cross, is tangible proof of our commitment to the local motor industry, as well as the South African economy,” Kirby said.