This week, the locally-assembled (CKD) Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid will finally be making its Malaysian debut less than a year after the petrol variants were launched. Needless to say, the crossover version of the Corolla is becoming a common sight on the road.

Over in Thailand, the Corolla Cross has been an absolute hit ever since it made its global debut in the Kingdom back in 2020 and in its second year in the market, things aren’t slowing down.

According to sales data from the Department of Land Transport, 18,770 units of the Corolla Cross were sold throughout 2021, making it the best-selling compact SUV in Thailand. As such, the Corolla Cross Hybrid is also one of the Kingdom’s best-selling hybrid vehicles (HEV).

Also read: Malaysians say hybrids are unreliable, 85% of Thai Toyota Corolla Cross are hybrids

Placing second isn’t the Honda HR-V but rather the MG ZS which sold 11,987 units in 2021. The total figure includes the ZS EV. The British-Chinese SUV has been quite a hit in the Kingdom as buyers see the SUV’s value beyond just the badge.

Also read: Over 1,000 EVs registered in Thailand in 2020, MG ZS EV more popular than Tesla

Rounding up the top 3 is surprisingly, the Mazda CX-30 which saw 6,691 units sold last year. Meanwhile, with 4,736 units sold, the Honda HR-V is placed fourth.

It’s unsurprising to see the HR-V placed quite far on the list as the all-new model was only launched in November. The bulk of sales, therefore, came from the outgoing model which revolutionised the whole compact SUV market when it was launched in 2015 but became quite dated compared to the Corolla Cross, ZS, and CX-30.

Also read: Up close with the 2021 Honda HR-V SE, the final hurrah to the B-SUV that started it all

That being said, the all-new HR-V managed to win over Thais with more than 6,500 bookings within just a month of its launch. Despite only available with the e:HEV hybrid powertrain, that didn’t seem to faze off buyers.

Also read: Old school VTEC not missed, e:HEV-only 2022 Honda HR-V won 6.5k Thai buyers in just 1 month

The following is the full sales ranking of compact SUVs sold in 2021, courtesy of our sister site, AutoFun Thailand:

2022 might not be a home run for the Toyota Corolla Cross though as the all-new Honda HR-V could climb up the sales charts. Besides, the Chinese rivalry would not end with just the MG ZS as the Haval Jolion could also threaten the position of the Toyota crossover. Can the Corolla Cross maintain its position in 2022 or will there be a new leader?