Toyota wants to sell nearly 20,000 more units of its smallest crossover
In 2024, Toyota managed to move 93,021 examples of its recently introduced subcompact SUV, the Corolla Cross. Ostensibly a lifted Corolla, it slots into the lineup where the Toyota C-HR used to be — a model that’s scheduled to return soon, although only as an EV. Now, Toyota executives say they have high hopes for the Corolla Cross to achieve higher sales numbers than the two models managed together. Blake Williams, a marketing planner for the Corolla, told Automotive News that the brand’s target is 110,000 sales in 2026.
Toyota
Are Toyota’s hopes for the Corolla Cross realistic?
Toyota’s goal is lofty, but far from impossible. Selling in excess of 100,000 examples outstrips the sales that Toyota managed with two separate models doing the lifting. Toyota moved 12,141 examples of the C-HR in 2022, the last full year of sales for the model. Adding that to the 93,021 Corolla Cross models sold last year — which is an all-time high for the nameplate — the company falls around 5,000 units short. However, it’s worth remembering that Toyota updated the Corolla Cross for the 2026 model year. While improvements appear minor, they’re areas the Corolla Cross’s target demographic places big value on, including chunkier 18-inch wheels for enhanced curb appeal, standard heated seats and steering wheel on all-wheel drive models, and a larger 10.5-inch screen.
Who’s finding value in improvements like those? “We’re trying to target that 18- to 30-year-old buyer that is coming out of college and this is their first real big purchase,” Williams told Automotive News. The amenities and improvements, as well as the minor stylistic updates, made to the Corolla Cross could certainly add up. Will it be enough for 5,000 additional units? Considering the subcompact segment’s total sales volume of roughly 4 million units, probably. However, the small SUV faces staunch competition, not only from outsiders like the Chevrolet Trax and Subaru Crosstrek, but also from Toyota’s own lineup.
The Toyota Corolla Cross is a good value, but is it good enough?
The Toyota Corolla Cross starts at $26,085 before you check a single option box. For that, you get front-wheel drive, around 31 mpg, and a 2.0-liter, 169-horsepower four-cylinder engine. Hybrid models are pricier, starting at $30,445, but you get even better fuel economy and a roughly 30-horsepower bump. The subcompact SUV offers 46.9 cubic feet of cargo space and room for five.
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The hurdles the Corolla Cross faces are immediately apparent when you consider that some rivals offer more complete packages. For example, Subaru’s Crosstrek starts at $27,980, but comes with standard all-wheel drive, slightly more ground clearance, and slick 17-inch alloy wheels. Chevy significantly undercuts the Corolla Cross with the Trax’s $22,995 base price, and it still comes standard with big-ticket items like wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, lane keep assist, and lane departure warning. It even has more cargo space at 54.1 cubic feet. Meanwhile, customers in a position to step up to higher trims may be swayed by the ubiquitous Toyota RAV4. The bigger SUV comes with lots more cargo space, similar fuel economy, more horsepower, and similar high marks for standard features, including wireless phone integration and LED projector headlights, the latter of which aren’t standard on the Corolla Cross.
Final thoughts
Ultimately, Toyota has set realistic expectations for the Corolla Cross. Whether or not the small updates made for 2026 will allow the small SUV to take giant steps forward, though, remains to be seen. According to Toyota’s Q2 2025 sales report, the brand moved 51,324 units by the end of June, representing a 13.6% increase in volume over the same period in 2024. Toyota will need to move the needle just as much next year to realize its goal of 110,000 units in 2026. Whether or not the hotly competitive subcompact SUV segment allows it to do so, however, is another story.
