Toyota Corolla Cross has officially debuted in Pakistan on the 10th of April. Toyota Indus Motor Company (IMC) has opened the bookings with a delivery timeline of July 2021 and onwards. The company is selling Completely Built-Up (CBU) units of this SUV, imported from Thailand. There are three variants of Corolla Cross: Premium High Grade, Smart Mid Grade, and Low Grade. Today, we’ll compare the top-of-the-line Premium High Grade variant with the KIA Sportage AWD variant. Let the battle of the SUVs begin!
Engine and Transmission
Toyota Corolla Cross has a 1.8-litre 4th generation (Hybrid) engine. The car’s engine power is 71 hp, while the electric motor’s power is 72 hp. Meanwhile, the engine torque is 142 Nm, and the electric motor torque is 163 Nm. Hence, the combined horsepower of Toyota’s SUV is 168 hp, and the combined torque is 305 Nm. KIA Sportage AWD comes with a 2.0-litre MPI petrol engine that produces 155 horsepower and 196 Nm of torque. Corolla Cross’ engine looks more powerful than Sportage’s. Plus, its 1.8L hybrid engine offers way more fuel efficiency than the 2.0L petrol engine.
Corolla Cross combines the power of its engine with Electro Continuously Variable Transmission (ECVT). Sportage comes with 6-Speed Automatic Transmission. Hence, Toyota’s SUV takes the win in this round.
Drivetrain
Toyota Corolla Cross is a Front Wheel Drive (FWD) with four drive modes (Power, Normal, ECO, and EV). KIA Sportage is an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) with three drive modes (Normal, ECO, and Sport). Corolla Cross has an edge because of its EV mode that will save the day when your car is out of fuel.
Exterior
Both Toyota Corolla Cross Premium and KIA Sportage AWD have projection LED headlamps. Cross Premium has LED fog lamps, whereas Sportage AWD has halogen ones. Both SUVs have LED Daytime Running Lights (DRLs).
Corolla Cross Premium has a sunroof, but Sportage AWD has a panoramic sunroof. Corolla Cross Premium has 17-inch alloy wheels, while Sportage AWD has 18-inch alloy wheels. Both cars have an alloy spare wheel.
You can say KIA Sportage AWD has a better exterior because of its panoramic sunroof, but that’s the only big difference. The two SUVs are an equal match for the rest of the part.
Interior
Coming to the salient features of the two SUVs, both have an 8-inch touchscreen, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, and rain sensor. A dual-zone auto air conditioning system is also a common feature. Corolla Cross Premium has a 7-inch LCD for Multi-Information Display (MID), while Sportage AWD has a 3.5-inch LCD.
Corolla Cross Premium has a pedal type parking brake, whereas Sportage AWD has an electric parking brake. Corolla Cross Premium has a 6-way electric adjustable driver seat, while Sportage AWD offers an 8-way electric seat adjustment for the driver.
Toyota’s SUV does have a rear camera, but KIA’s has a rear camera with dynamic guidelines, meaning you get rearview with a navigation system which makes car parking so much easier.
Clearly, KIA Sportage AWD has better features than Toyota Corolla Cross Premium.
Safety
Both SUVs come with Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) plus Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD). Both have Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Hill Start Assist (HSA). Sportage AWD has auto-hold brakes, while Corolla Cross Premium doesn’t.
There are seven airbags in Toyota Corolla Cross Premium and only two in KIA Sportage AWD. Overall, both cars have the same safety features, but Corolla Cross Premium takes the lead here because of the airbags.
Price
There is a huge price difference between the two SUVs. The Premium High Grade variant of Corolla Cross costs Rs. 8,399,000, whereas the price of KIA Sportage AWD is Rs. 5,399,000. Corolla Cross Premium costs 30 lacs more than Sportage AWD.
