Ever since its global debut in Thailand back in 2020, the Toyota Corolla Cross has been introduced all over the world as the iconic name gets a new makeover in light of the SUV boom. Aside from Singapore, that is.
Well, Singaporeans would not need to fret anymore since Toyota is about to officially launch the Corolla Cross in the city island nation soon. Prior to this, the Corolla Cross is only available through parallel importers which are brought over from Japan.
Only the hybrid is to be launched in Singapore but unlike the ones offered to most markets including Malaysia, the SG-spec Corolla Cross Hybrid will be offered with a more powerful engine.
According to the email invite to customers by Toyota’s distributor, Borneo Motors Singapore, the Corolla Cross Hybrid will be powered by a 2.0-litre Dynamic Force (M20A-FXS) engine which makes Singapore the only ASEAN market to offer this engine on the popular crossover.
Also read: Singapore is first in ASEAN to launch 2021 Toyota Yaris Cross – hybrid only, TSS, from SGD 102k
Toyota says this new fifth-generation hybrid powertrain has been calibrated for more rewarding driveability, with lighter and more compact components.
A new power control unit (PCU) reduces the level of electrical losses in the system, while the engine also runs quieter. The transaxle is also 15 percent lighter thanks to new materials and new compact, higher-output motors
A similar engine is also used on the Toyota Innova Zenix Hybrid but the combined power output figures are different on both models. The more powerful Corolla Cross Hybrid has a combined power of 199 PS while the Innova Zenix Hybrid produces 186 PS.
In comparison, the Corolla Cross Hybrid that is sold in Malaysia and many other markets around the world is powered by a 1.8-litre 2ZR-FXE that makes a combined output of 122 PS.
Also read: Review: Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid – Come on HR-V, give it your best shot
As Singapore is an open market, its Corolla Cross Hybrid would be fully-imported from Japan like the European counterpart, not Thailand. Regardless of a vehicle’s country of origin, all private vehicles sold in Singapore are penalized by the island state’s hefty COE (certificate of entitlement), based on the vehicle’s engine capacity and power output. So, it makes no difference if a car is imported from Thailand or Japan.
The rest of Southeast Asia prioritizes cars that are either assembled domestically or came from a member of the ASEAN trade bloc (with at least 60 percent ASEAN-sourced content). Some countries go one step further. Indonesia has import quotas even for ASEAN-sourced vehicles while Malaysia puts hefty excise tax, even if the vehicle is from their ASEAN trading partner.
Also read: CKD Malaysia 2022 Kia Carnival heads to Thailand next, ASEAN exports to follow
It’s also likely that the petrol variants won’t be available in Singapore which mirrors other markets like Europe and Japan that only offers the Corolla Cross with a hybrid.
Also read: In some markets, Toyota Corolla Cross will soon be a hybrid-only model, Japan to drop 1.8L petrol
No other further details on what the Singaporean-spec Corolla Cross Hybrid will offer but we can expect the features to be similar to what’s currently offered in Europe. These include a 12.3-inch digital cockpit, an electric parking brake (EPB), a 10.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) ADAS suite.
The email did not mention the launch date and prices would only be revealed then. With a more powerful hybrid engine than even the Japanese-spec parallel imports, will Singaporeans gravitate towards the Corolla Cross like the rest of the world?
Also read: 1-year waiting period, Japan suspends bookings for Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid
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