2025 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Nightshade Edition Review: Keeping It Simple

If you’re shopping for a crossover these days, it can be quite challenging, not because there are too few options available in the U.S., but rather because there are so many. There are dozens and dozens of different options, typically several nameplates from each automaker, which can make selecting the right vehicle a difficult task.

If you’re on the prowl for a functional, affordable, and super-efficient small utility vehicle, there’s one option that fits the bill just about perfectly. The 2025 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid isn’t the quickest, most stylish, or best-equipped SUV ever built, but this back-to-basics model keeps it simple yet still manages to check the right boxes for value-conscious drivers.

The example provided for testing checked out for $35,998, including $1,350 in destination charges and a smattering of options. Sidestep any extras, and you can get an entry-level Corolla Cross Hybrid for a little less than $30,000, a strong value in 2025.

2025 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Nightshade Edition First Impressions

This Corolla Cross Hybrid breaks no ground, but the vehicle doesn’t have to. The design of this SUV is clean and fairly simple – there’s no gaudy trim, the body is free of unnecessary swoops or other styling gimmicks, and this crossover’s proportions are conventional and familiar. Overall, this vehicle looks handsome and approachable, neither too cutesy nor performatively rugged.

Exterior Dimensions

Like other Toyotas, the Corolla Cross’ front end is dominated by a very large grille, one that is, on this model, at least, flanked by standard LED headlamps. This midrange, fashion-focused Nightshade Edition trim level also features 18-inch wheels that are treated to a black finish, plus various exterior accents that have been blacked out to match. The model shown here wears a premium paint color called Soul Red Crystal, which costs an extra $975. This hue absolutely glistens in the sun, looking especially rich and deep in bright light; the paint’s finish is also smooth and even.

Driving Impressions And Performance

The Corolla Cross Hybrid is not a fun vehicle to pilot, but neither are any of its rivals. If you’re shopping for driver enjoyment, go get a Mazda Miata, Ford Mustang GT, or something similar. While not engaging, this Toyota is entirely competent, and it performs as you’d expect for an SUV of this class. The steering has no feel, but the weighting is appropriately heavy, so it’s not all bad. Toss the Corolla Cross into a corner, and the body stays relatively flat, plus this vehicle feels light on its feet and very agile, thanks, at least in part, to the small exterior dimensions.

Out and about, the Corolla Cross’ ride is on the firm side, but the suspension does a superb job filtering out roadway harshness, so grittiness rarely infiltrates the cabin, even over crumbling pavement. Outward visibility from behind the wheel is also quite good, something that helps build driver confidence and, you know, prevent crashes.

Acceleration And Braking

The Corolla Cross Hybrid is motivated by a modest but surprisingly potent powertrain. Under the hood is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that is matched to an electronically controlled continuously variable automatic transmission. If you’re familiar with Toyota’s groundbreaking hybrid technology, nothing will surprise you here.

On its own, that engine delivers a modest 150 horsepower and 139 pound-feet of torque. But with the hybrid system’s small battery pack and electric motor-generators – including a rear-mounted dynamo providing standard all-wheel drive – this vehicle has a system net horsepower of 196. That figure looks a bit tepid in a world of 700-plus-hp Hellcats and 1,234-hp Lucid Air Sapphires, but the Corolla Cross Hybrid moves better than you’d ever expect. This small SUV scoots off the line and pulls with vigor at higher speeds. Overall, the Corolla Cross Hybrid should be able to hit 60 mph in around 7.3 seconds, a more-than-respectable time.

Really, the only downside to this vehicle’s powertrain is refinement. The engine isn’t necessarily coarse, but it makes plenty of ruckus when working hard, plus you feel lots of small vibrations under heavy loads. Keep a lighter foot, and the powertrain remains quite civilized.

When it’s time to slow down, the Corolla Cross Hybrid has no trouble shedding speed. The transition from regenerative braking, which puts energy back into the battery pack that would have otherwise been wasted, to the traditional friction brakes is transparent, though the pedal itself feels extremely rubbery and soft, almost like stepping on a balloon. This isn’t a big deal, it just doesn’t give the impression there’s an enormous amount of stopping power in reserve if you need it.

Performance Specifications

Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Fuel Economy

This Toyota delivers unexpectedly potent acceleration along with a bit of noise and vibration. Aside from all that, the Corolla Cross is also extremely economical. According to the U.S. EPA, this vehicle should return 45 miles per gallon in the city, 38 highway, and 42 mpg combined.

In mixed, real-world driving, roughly 70 percent country backroad driving and 30 percent highway cruising, I’ve been getting around 41.4 mpg, which is a whisker behind the estimated combined score, but still an exceptional showing.

Interior Design And Comfort

As you might expect, there’s nothing fancy about this vehicle’s interior, though it’s still functional and well-built. The fabric used on the seats feels very durable and the front chairs themselves are lightly bolstered and comfortable enough, though an adjustable lumbar sure would be nice. Both front chairs adjust manually in the Nightshade Edition (a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat is standard in the top-shelf XSE model), with the driver’s chair moving in six ways and the passenger seat just four.

Interior Dimensions

The Corolla Cross’ backseat is not particularly spacious, though this is not a surprise given how trim the vehicle’s dimensions are. Six-footers fit back there, if only just. The lower cushion is rather close to the floor, the backrest is quite upright and not adjustable, plus there’s no fold-down center armrest, a feature that’s reserved for the highfalutin XSE trim.

Despite the low price, this Toyota’s materials are quite nice. There are plenty of hard plastics – on the doors, upper section of the dashboard, the center console and elsewhere – but the graining is reasonably attractive and the sheen low. Offsetting the hard stuff, there’s also squishy soft plastic on the main section of the dash and the door panels, a nice touch at this price point.

Technology And Ease Of Use

The Corolla Cross has an eight-inch touchscreen perched rather high on the center of the dashboard. While this panel looks almost comically small in 2025, it still works well. Toyota’s native infotainment system is responsive and easy enough to navigate, plus this setup supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, so it’s easy to access familiar smartphone features while on the go.

Unlike other new vehicles these days, this SUV does not have a digital instrument cluster, rather, the Corolla Cross is fitted with a plain-looking set of analog gauges that are refreshingly simple and easy to read. Between the tachometer and speedometer is a 4.2-inch color readout that lets you access various trip functions like fuel economy, vehicle settings, and more. If that’s not enough display real estate, the XSE model is offered with a much larger seven-inch digital instrument cluster, so opt for that trim instead.

Along with those relatively small displays, another aspect of this vehicle that could be enlarged is the climate control array. I appreciate that this Toyota has physical switches and dials opposed to putting everything on the touchscreen, though the various control buttons are extremely small and can be difficult to operate while driving.

Cargo And Storage Space

This Toyota has a wheelbase of 103.9 inches, and an overall length is 176.8 inches. With numbers like that, you can’t expect the Corolla Cross to have more cargo space than a Chevy Suburban, and it obviously doesn’t, though the vehicle is still reasonably capacious.

You get 17 cubic feet of room behind the 60/40 split second-row backrest. Fold that down, which may require removing the outboard headrests so the seats clear the front backrests, and the overall number increases to 44 cubes, a good amount of room, though that’s less than you get in some competing small SUVs.

The all-wheel-drive Nissan Kicks has 23.9 cubic feet behind the second-row seat and 50.1 when folded. The Honda HR-V is rated at 24.4 and 55.1 cubes, respectively. Both of those vehicles offer appreciably more cargo space than the Corolla Cross, though neither the Nissan nor the Honda is offered with a hybrid powertrain. So, if you want more interior room, grab one of those, but if fuel economy is more important, grab the Toyota.

The reason for this cargo space disparity is likely because of the Corolla Cross’ hybrid battery pack, which takes up a fair amount of space. This energy-storage reservoir is mounted under the rear seat cushion.

2025 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Nightshade Edition vs. Its Competitors

As alluded to just above, the Corolla Cross competes with other small utility vehicles, including the Kicks and HR-V, as well as the Hyundai Kona and Chevrolet Trailblazer, to name a few. None of those rivals are offered with a hybrid powertrain, so if you want to maximize your fuel economy, you’ll pretty much have to go with the Toyota, however, the Kona is available as a pure electric if that’s something that interests you. EVs are far more efficient than even the thriftiest hybrid, but charging them can be an issue for some drivers, so choose carefully.

How The 2025 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Nightshade Edition Compares To The 2025 Nissan Kicks AWD

The Toyota Corolla Cross and Nissan Kicks compare quite favorably, being very similar in size. The former, of course, is more efficient thanks to its hybrid powertrain, and the Toyota has significantly more horsepower. The Nissan, however, offers additional cargo space, has a more interesting design, and the Kicks’ cabin looks noticeably nicer than the Corolla Cross’ interior.

Performance

This Toyota has 196 system horsepower, enough to get it to 60 mph in the low-seven-second range, an impressive performance. With 55 fewer horses in its under-hood stable, the Kicks is, not surprisingly, significantly slower, taking around 9.0 seconds to hit the same speed. That’s a pretty average performance, so it’s not out of line with other small SUVs, but the Corolla Cross Hybrid should be noticeably quicker.

This Toyota is also significantly more economical. Again, it’s rated at 45 mpg city, 38 mpg highway, and 42 mpg combined. The all-wheel-drive Kicks should return just 27 mpg, 34 mpg, and 30 mpg, respectively, far less than the Corolla Cross Hybrid.

Comfort

This Toyota is not uncomfortable, but it’s not a great vehicle for long-distance trips. Only the XSE model with 10-way seats offers adjustable lumbar support, which would be sorely missed after hours in the saddle, and this SUV’s backseat is a little tight for adults. Looking at the stats, the Kicks has about 2.5 inches of additional legroom in the rear, a rather significant difference. The Nissan has 0.2 more inches of maximum headroom in the front, but the Toyota has 0.6 inches more in the back. As for shoulder room, the Kicks is graced with around 2.0 additional inches in both rows compared to the Corolla Cross Hybrid.

Both these vehicles are available with heated front seats, though the Kicks also offers a heated steering wheel. If your hands get chilly in the wintertime, you might prefer this Nissan to the Toyota.

Technology

When it comes to technology, the Nissan is available with a much larger 12.3-inch touchscreen, though the Toyota’s 8-incher is slightly larger than the Kicks’ standard seven-inch panel. Lower-end versions of this Nissan also feature a 7-inch color meter cluster, though, predictably, a 12.3-inch is available in the top-shelf SR trim.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, a suite of advanced driver assistance technologies. This includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-centering, automatic high beams, road sign recognition, and much more. Matching the Toyota, the Kicks features Nissan Safety Shield 360, which includes essentially the same invaluable amenities.

Our Recommendation For Which Model You Should Buy

So, Corolla Cross Hybrid or Nissan Kicks? These two vehicles are broadly similar when it comes to exterior dimensions, passenger comfort, and advanced safety features. The Nissan offers some nicer in-cabin technology and looks more modern than the Toyota, but the Corolla Cross Hybrid is far more economical thanks to its electrified powertrain. Toyota is the gold standard when it comes to reliability and resale value, and the company typically far outpaces Nissan in these areas, but the current-generation Kicks shows enormous promise. This SUV was recently recognized as the top vehicle in its segment in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, a major win for Nissan.

Overall, the Corolla Cross Hybrid is a better choice for drivers who care about fuel economy, but the Kicks offers some enticing advantages, too.