Say what you will about the Toyota Corolla Cross but one thing is certain, it’s been a sales success in Malaysia, outselling the Proton X70 even though it is pricier.

4 years after its world debut in Thailand, the Kingdom played host to the unveiling of the facelifted crossover earlier this month.

The 2024 Corolla Cross facelift sports a new look but what else changed? We’ll take a look at the differences between the old pre-facelift and the new facelift which would be arriving in Malaysia sometime in the future.

Exterior – Hello, honey!

Toyota wasn’t subtle in the revised Corolla Cross’ design, at least in the front. Out goes the trapezoidal front grille and in its place is a minimalist design that merges the design of the front grille with the front bumper.

Also read: 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross facelift launched in Thailand - No 2.0L engine but EPB is standard

The honeycomb-shaped front grille is dubbed a “Multi-dimensional Design” with newly designed LED crystalised headlights and sequential front turn signals. Running across the Toyota ellipses emblem is a series of vertical chrome strips, giving the illusion of a light bar.

A front camera is placed centrally in one of those honeycomb-shaped slats while side intakes flank both sides of the front bumper. Despite Toyota not placing the blue-accented emblem on the XW60 Prius and Innova Zenix Hybrid, the revamped Corolla Cross hybrids still sport blue Toyota badges along with the new HEV blue circle emblem.

Also read: Future Toyota hybrids to drop blue logo, no longer present on 2023 Toyota Innova and Prius

This minimalist multi-dimensional design is not seen on the Corolla Cross GR Sport variant which still looks mostly unchanged compared to the pre-facelift. In Thailand, this variant is offered solely with a hybrid powertrain which curiously does not feature a blue-accented Toyota badge on the exterior.

Also read: Quick Review: 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross GR Sport - Just the balance buyers secretly needed

Being a facelift, the redesign is mostly emphasised in the front with the rear being the same. The honeycomb pattern on the lower garnish of the rear bumper shown above is unique to the Urban Prestige accessory package.

The revamped Thai-spec Corolla Cross also gained newly designed 18-inch two-tone brushed alloy wheels for the non-GR Sport hybrid variants.

Interior – Hello, EPB!

The most welcoming change to the new Corolla Cross is likely the addition of an electric parking brake (EPB) as standard. The outgoing model uses a foot-operated parking brake though EPB is available in so-called mature markets like North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, and Singapore.

The introduction of EPB to the updated Corolla Cross must’ve been relieving news for left thighs and calves but other enhancements also further elevate the popular crossover.

A 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now graces the centre in lieu of the 9-inch head unit on the pre-facelift. However, it is worth noting that the Malaysian unit uses a different head unit compared to the Thai-spec model, so it is uncertain whether the facelift could receive the same treatment.

Higher variants of the Corolla Cross in Thailand also receive a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster which is also available on the Corolla Altis. Lower variants though feature a 7-inch TFT display so we might also be saying goodbye to the 4.2-inch MID in the upcoming Malaysian-spec Corolla Cross facelift.

Besides a fully digital display, higher variants also receive a panoramic sunroof, a feature that was already introduced in the Japanese-spec Corolla Cross. Still sticking with the interior, 2 new colours are offered for the leather upholstery: black and Dark Rose. The latter might look classy but it is not likely to be available in Malaysia.

Also read: Malaysia vs Japan – See how the Toyota Corolla Cross stacks up against one another

Powertrain – Hello, familiarity!

Though the looks and features of the new Corolla Cross facelift are enhanced, the powerplants are carried over for both hybrid and petrol variants. Four variants are offered in Thailand with a single petrol variant and the remaining 3 being hybrids.

Both powerplants are naturally aspirated 1.8-litre units; no 2.0-litre hybrid as offered in developed markets. The hybrid unit produces a combined 122 PS while the petrol unit makes 140 PS and 172 Nm.

Also read: More power! 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross facelift in Japan gains 2.0L, 170 PS engine, new hybrid system, updated features

The petrol unit is paired with a CVT automatic while the hybrid variants are mated to an e-CVT gearbox. Both transmissions send power to the front wheels.

Despite the enhancements, prices for the revamped Corolla Cross remain unchanged in Thailand which range between THB 999,000 to THB 1.254 million (~RM 133k-167k). Due to the current state of the ringgit, however, you might not see the same pricing strategy to be applied by UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT). 

Since the pre-facelift Malaysian units are locally assembled (CKD), not only would it take a little bit longer for the updated Corolla Cross to be launched here, but we could see sharp price hikes since the parts brought in for CKD production would be bought in USD.

The outgoing Corolla Cross is still quite a sensible buy for those looking for a crossover. Prices and variants of the pre-facelift Corolla Cross in Malaysia are listed below:

• 1.8 G: RM 130,900
• 1.8 V: RM 137,900
• Hybrid: RM 143,000
• 1.8 GR Sport: RM 146,000