- Toyota says the Corolla Cross needs a zesty design to rebound in Europe.
- The automaker’s more striking C-HR outsells the Corolla Cross by four to one.
- Earlier this year, Toyota launched a minor facelift for the TNGA-based model.
Take a look at the photos below. It’s the Toyota Corolla Cross. It’s not exactly the most exciting crossover to look at, is it? It’s been five years since Toyota decided to create an SUV version of its popular Corolla, and while it has helped cater to an ever-growing number of shoppers not interested in small hatchbacks, it doesn’t exactly tug at the heartstrings – even after its recent facelift. This perhaps explains why sales are down in Europe.
Through the first four months of this year, Toyota managed to sell 11,259 examples across Europe. That makes it the region’s 25th best-selling compact model, but it was down 14 percent from the year prior. Perhaps more telling is the fact that across the same period, the C-HR, with its much more striking and flamboyant design, sold 41,950 units, representing a 9.6 percent gain over 2024.
Read: The 2026 Corolla Cross Facelift Reveals Its GR Sporty Side
While recently speaking to Auto News, the head of product strategy and marketing at Toyota Europe, Andrea Carlucci, acknowledged the Corolla Cross needs a more zesty design if it is to sell in higher numbers across the continent.
“We don’t have the perfect Corolla Cross for Europe, in the sense it’s a global model,” he said. “If we bring more European zest, sales will be up.”
2026 TOYOTA COROLLA CROSS (EU)
Is Another Update Coming?
There’s no word on when the Corolla Cross will be given a new generation, but as the current model has been around for five years, an updated version can’t be more than a couple of years away. Carlucci noted that if it sticks with the TNGA platform, Toyota will have the ability to develop different upper bodies for the car for different markets, meaning it could give the Corolla Cross a more interesting design specific for the European market.
“The key point is that Toyota develops TNGA to allow regions to develop upper bodies,” Carlucci said. “The cars need to be what Europeans want, not a mix of what U.S. and Japanese buyers want.”
The current generation of the Corolla Cross has been around for a while, but Toyota gave it a refresh last month for the 2026 model year across all markets. In Japan and Europe, they even introduced a GR Sport trim, which won’t be offered here in North Amertica. But, let’s be honest, when you compare it to the bold C-HR or even the regular Corolla hatch, the design of this SUV still feels, well, pretty uninspired.
2026 TOYOTA COROLLA CROSS GR SPORT (EU)
