Toyota’s utility division is having a strong year so far. After the announcement of an Asian launch for the new Harrier and the recently released Yaris Cross, as well as the upcoming facelifted Hilux, it turns out the Japanese company is readying yet another lifted offering. A compact, Corolla-based SUV is in the works for several different global markets, and these are the first spy photos of that car.
First published by the Thai Car Inside page on Facebook and brought to our attention by our colleagues at Motor1.com Brazil, the two shots show a heavily camouflaged prototype of an SUV spotted on public roads in Thailand. At first glance, it looks similar to the aforementioned Harrier and that’s in part because the two will share the same TNGA architecture.
According to our Brazilian colleagues, the model will be positioned as a more practical and traditional alternative to the C-HR but at the same time simpler and more affordable than the RAV-4. It’ll be interesting to see how the automaker will differentiate the new crossover from the just-released Yaris Cross - we expect it to be more straightforward but roomier on the inside.
Internally known as the 740B project, the compact SUV could actually carry the Corolla Cross moniker, which was patented some time ago in Australia. Our source claims the TNGA-based high-riding vehicle should be ready for a market launch at some point during the first half of next year. It could adopt the new Corolla’s 1.8- and 2.0-liter hybrid powertrains and, depending on the market, 1.6- and 2.0-liter gasoline units could also be in the cars.
All the early details point to an initial launch in some Asian markets, followed by a release in South America. The Corolla Cross will be produced in Brazil and could reach the U.S. market later during its life cycle. Whether it will be available in Europe or not remains unknown for now.
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