After more than a year of being associated with the Corolla Cross HV, users are truly impressed and satisfied with the experiences that the first electric crossover model from Toyota brings.
Reasons for choosing Toyota Corolla Cross HV
According to Hoang Vu – the owner of the one-year-old Corolla Cross HV – the reason why his family chose this car is partly because of the “weight” from the Toyota logo. The Japanese brand has been present in the Vietnamese market for a long time and has earned the trust of consumers.
Toyota brand provides reassurance for customers with durable, quality and popular products. This is an invisible value but plays a very important role in customers’ car buying decisions.
The next reason is that the Corolla Cross has truly made a breakthrough in terms of design compared to other models in Toyota’s product range at the time of launch. The crossover model stands out with a youthful, modern and fresh appearance.
Even until now – when competitors like the Honda HR-V, Hyundai Tucson, and Kia Sportage were launched with impressive looks – the Toyota Corolla Cross is still not too different in terms of design and can still be considered “satisfactory” for the young user group.
The third factor, in addition to the brand value and beautiful design, Corolla Cross HV is also very popular with users, with a leading list of equipment in the segment at the time of launch. Until now, the car has not been too inferior in terms of options compared to HR-V, Tucson or Sportage.
Convenient and modern Hybrid technology
Until now in the Vietnamese market, Toyota Corolla Cross HV is still the only choice in the crossover segment with a high chassis and a price range under 1 billion VND – if customers want to experience a hybrid car with hybrid gasoline-electric technology.
Unlike pure electric cars like VinFast e34, Hyundai Ioniq, or Kia EV-6; the hybrid electric technology on the Toyota Corolla Cross does not depend on infrastructure. The gasoline engine in the car can both directly drive and provide energy to recharge the battery.
In other words, Corolla Cross owners still need to refuel the car like normal, instead of having to “calculate” the distance and search for charging stations to recharge their vehicles before the battery runs out like other pure electric models.
Thanks to the combination with the electric motor, Toyota Corolla Cross HV doesn’t need to stress the gasoline engine. In addition, the car will automatically recover energy and store it in the battery when decelerating – making use of wasted energy during operation.
As a result, Toyota Corolla Cross HV has an impressive fuel consumption rate of only about 4.5 ~ 5 L/100km – equivalent to half of other similar cars (same engine capacity and vehicle weight).
Concerns about caring for and maintaining hybrid cars
It can be said that this is a common psychological concern for most customers when considering this new and unfamiliar electric car before deciding to “spend money” to buy it. However, the experience of using Toyota Corolla Cross HV after more than a year of use by Hoang Vu has completely eliminated this concern.
Compared to the version using a traditional combustion engine, Toyota Corolla Cross HV hardly has any additional complex maintenance items. Only the cooling system for the battery (not complicated) needs to be regularly maintained during maintenance intervals – replacing oil at the usual intervals of 5,000 or 10,000 km of the car.
In addition, the electric motor on Toyota Corolla Cross HV is not a consumable or requires regular maintenance. Even the energy storage battery on the car is also covered by a 10-year warranty by the Japanese manufacturer, to ensure that customers can use it with peace of mind.
Even after the 10-year warranty period, if this battery fails, Toyota Vietnam also announces the cost of replacing the new energy storage system for the car, which is only about 90 million VND – equivalent to the price difference between the V and HV versions of the car.
Satisfied experience with Toyota Corolla Cross HV
In most cases, when the car just starts or runs at low speeds, Toyota Corolla Cross HV will automatically switch off the internal combustion engine and only use the electric drive system. The driving experience at this time will be completely similar to pure electric cars: quiet and smooth!
When the battery needs to be recharged or the driver presses the accelerator pedal deeply, the car will start the 1.8L gasoline engine to combine and increase power. Thanks to a reasonable and smooth coordination, the gasoline engine on Corolla Cross HV will not be forced to operate at high RPM levels like “overwork”; thereby contributing to reducing noise into the car compartment as well as increasing engine durability and lifespan.
Toyota Corolla Cross HV is equipped with a display screen of operating information behind the steering wheel instead of a gauge. Through this screen, the car will show very intuitively: when the electric motor or electric generator is operating or off, the car is charging the battery or discharging energy from the battery to supply power to the car.
In terms of space, the size of Toyota Corolla Cross HV is positioned in the middle of the B and C segment crossovers. This means that the car will provide a slightly larger interior space than the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Kona – Creta but still cannot be as spacious as the Mazda CX-5, Honda HR-V, Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage.
However, in terms of user experience, Toyota Corolla Cross is perfectly suited to the daily needs of a family (consisting of 3-4 adults and 1-2 children): in the city and for weekend trips with not too long distances.
The car’s suspension system is also very well set up in the front seats. However, for the three passengers in the rear, the Corolla Cross only provides a satisfactory seating experience when going over speed bumps.
On mountainous roads with many sharp bends or when changing lanes on the highway, the Corolla Cross also clearly demonstrates the strength of a global Toyota model: a very solid frame that provides confidence for the driver.
The V and HV versions of Toyota Corolla Cross are equipped with the TSS safety driving assistance package. This feature helps the driver to be less stressed, feel more confident holding the steering wheel, and even participate in rescuing the driver in unexpected dangerous situations.
There are still areas that need improvement
Alongside many advantages mentioned above, Toyota Corolla Cross HV still has some small noteworthy points, especially in terms of user convenience. First, the car’s audio system does not provide superior sound quality but is only in the “acceptable” range.
Next is the interface is still monotonous and has not integrated many features, although it has been equipped with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Car owners will have to upgrade the speaker and screen to better serve their entertainment needs.
In addition, the rear suspension is slightly stiff – especially when going over speed bumps or rough roads – causing discomfort for passengers in the second row. Along with that, the gasoline engine when operating at low RPM levels will generate a small, echoing noise inside the car compartment.
Ultimately, Toyota Corolla Cross HV is truly a worthwhile choice, with many advantages compared to its competitors. The car is suitable for urban environments and for customers who already have families and need a versatile vehicle for daily transportation for various purposes.
Beautiful, useful, convenient – these are also the reasons that make Corolla Cross contribute regularly to the list of best-selling names in the Vietnamese car market every month.
Anh Phan (Tuoitrethudo)
