2025 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Nightshade Review: Delightful Design, Disappointing Drivetrain
The Toyota Corolla Cross came out in 2022, but this is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to drive one. This compact crossover is available in both standard gas and hybrid versions, the latter offering more power and better fuel economy, but also adding nearly $ 5,000 to the base price. The Hybrid model I drove comes in four trims: the base S, SE, XSE, and the Nightshade trim, which I tested.
The Corolla Cross looks like Toyota put the current-gen RAV4 through a shrink ray. In other words, it’s an appealing and sporty-looking vehicle. The Nightshade rolls on black alloy 18-inch wheels, black mirror caps, black badging, and black roof rails. Up front, you’ll find LED headlights with black housings. The crossover looks best with the two-tone color option, which tops things off with a nice gloss-black roof. This option is only available with the Wind Chill Pearl or Soul Red Crystal premium paints, adding $975 to the overall pricetag.
The gas Corolla Cross features a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 169 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. of torque. The hybrid adds a small motor and a battery pack, bumping its power to 196 horses. Its 7-ish second 0-to-60 time is admirable, but the Continuously Variable Transmission is a big letdown. The engine sounds like it’s working extra hard when accelerating, and the CVT emits a variety of unsettling whirring noises. I also noticed significantly more engine noise and vibration than I’ve become accustomed to in other modern vehicles. On the plus side, fuel economy is quite good, offering up to 45 MPG in the city, 38 MPG on the highway, and 42 MPG combined.
Beyond the lackluster drivetrain, its sport-tuned suspension provides good feedback, and the steering offers enough weight and directness to provide a dynamic ride. The driving position is comfortable, and overall visibility is good. Like all of their U.S.-bound cars, Toyota loads up the Corolla Cross with a nice suite of safety and driver assistance tech. It comes equipped with nine airbags, a backup camera, tire pressure monitoring, blind spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, safe exit alert, rear-seat reminder, hill start assist, LATCH anchors, and an anti-theft system. It also includes dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure alert, lane tracing assist, and automatic high beams.
While the exterior of the Corolla Cross Nightshade is pleasing to the eye, I found the interior to be a letdown. Nearly every surface is hard plastic, and there’s nothing special about the design at all. The dashboard and center stack are functional, and ergonomics are fine, but I was hoping for something with a bit more personality, especially since the exterior design is so successful. The 8-inch touchscreen display seems small by modern standards, but at least it runs the clean and modern Toyota Multimedia System, which includes wireless support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. My test vehicle came equipped with the upgraded 9-speaker JBL audio system, which delivers big, dynamic sound that punches above its weight.
The only distinctive design element is the black-and-red fabric and red accent stitching on the seats. These seats are comfortable and provide good support, though you’d think that a higher-end trim like the Nightshade would include heated and/or power seats, both of which come standard on the only slightly more expensive Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE.
Rear seat legroom is tight, but that’s to be expected from a compact crossover. There’s enough room back here for little kids, and they get adjustable climate vents, USB-C charging ports, and in-door cupholders. Otherwise, it’s pretty spare back here – there aren’t even seatback pockets on the front seats.
Cargo space is generous for its size, and the cargo area is smartly designed to maximize space. With the rear seats in use, there’s 21.5 cubic feet for carrying groceries, backpacks, golf clubs, or suitcases. Flip down the seats and remove the cargo cover, and that increases to roughly 44 cubic feet.
I really wanted to like the Corolla Cross Hybrid. It looks great from the outside, but the odd sounds of its drivetrain and cheap interior let me down. The Nightshade looks nice enough, but I’d skip the $900 moonroof and use that money to get the XSE, which has more standard equipment for just $940 more. And while it’s supposed to be a step below a RAV4 in terms of affordability, the sticker price on my test vehicle was $34,648, before the $ 1,350 delivery and processing fee. You can get into a base 2025 RAV4 Hybrid for as little as $32,300, and a well-equipped Woodland or XSE model starting around $35,000. In my opinion, the RAV4 is a significantly better vehicle overall, boasting a more powerful engine, more space, comparable fuel economy, and better pricing for its options. For example, the moonroof on the Corolla Cross adds $900 to its price, while the panoramic glass roof on the RAV4 is $500. The Corolla Cross 9-speaker JBL sound system is $800, while it’s only $580 for the 11-speaker JBL premium audio on the RAV4 XSE.
