If there’s a reason for a car brand to be on a woman’s radar, much of it has something to do with reliability and styling. No wonder a Toyota always makes it on our list. And that’s why the Corolla Cross GR-S HEV tops mine.
As someone with an active lifestyle, I easily gravitated towards the dynamic styling of the Corolla Cross. I love black accents, great color combinations, and of course, nice shoes! The top-of-the-line GR-S variant translates all those aesthetics with its distinctive gloss black grille, two-tone black-on-white finish, and its flashy 18-inch alloy wheels. It’s great to know what I have as a daily driver represents my personality best.
Aesthetics aside, women also love a luxurious feel. Once you step inside the Corolla Cross GR-S HEV, you’ll instantly get what I mean. There are soft-touch materials everywhere, plus sumptuous leather seats that you can easily adjust to your liking via 8-way power adjustments for the driver.
Women are practical, too. Aside from good looks and comfort, we also value functionality. For weekends we spend out of town or playing sports, there’s more than enough room for suitcases and sports equipment like tennis, padel or pickleball rackets or golf clubs.
To some extent, we’re guilty of bringing so many things in our car like it’s our second home, that’s why having lots of compartments to store our things is non-negotiable. Since I’m a coffee lover, a car gets extra points simply for having a lot of cup holders.
Tech-savvy women — who isn’t? — can look forward to the eye-candy 9-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The presence of physical buttons makes it highly intuitive and easy to navigate without having to take one’s eyes off the road. Directly in front of the driver is a 7-inch digital cluster with modern touches, too.
Of course, women place a high priority on safety. And thankfully the Corolla Cross GR-S HEV is loaded with features to give us confidence and peace of mind on the road. It’s called Toyota Safety Sense, which includes Pre-Collision System, Automatic High Beam, Lane Tracing Assist, Lane Departure Alert, and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. These are just a few of the Corolla Cross’ extensive array of safety features.
We are also spoiled with convenience features like the power-folding side mirrors, power tailgate, keyless entry, push-button start, and dual-zone automatic climate control. The Corolla Cross’ high ride height is especially useful for us since it gives us a better visual of the road. And if we come across the occasional flooded road, this crossover’s extra height and ground clearance will come in handy.
Women also love things with great value; we’re always looking for ways to get the most out of our money. Driving a self-charging hybrid like the Toyota Corolla Cross HEV means that the car can run on gasoline only, on battery only, or a mix of both. And we don’t have to worry about having to stop to recharge the battery or worse, to run out of battery power before making it to our destination. Most people average 8 kilometers per liter in the city in their everyday non-hybrid cars; with the Corolla Cross HEV, I was amazed to see that it can achieve 19.1 kilometers on one liter of gas. You can even explore different drive modes—Eco, EV, and Power—depending on your driving mood.
*Disclaimer: Figures are based on 2.O’s test/usage and it may vary depending on one’s driving style and other conditions
We women are advocates for nature. And in the long run, we’re not only doing our wallets a favor but the planet, too. Since the Corolla Cross HEV can run purely on electricity for short distances, that’s guaranteed fewer carbon emissions on the streets already.
Contrary to popular belief, we women are uncomplicated people. We want straightforward things. And that’s what we can expect from driving the Corolla Cross HEV. Under the hood, it has a dependable 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine (coupled with an electric motor) that’s mated to a continuous variable transmission. This combination puts out a more-than-adequate 122 hp and 142 Nm of torque.
On the road, there are so many things commendable about the Corolla Cross HEV: the steering is light, braking is effortless, and acceleration is very responsive. At the same time, riding in it feels very smooth, quiet, and refined. For us women, these are things we appreciate very much.
All in all, it’s not surprising that the Corolla Cross GR-S HEV continues to win the hearts of women. It’s just like a best friend who understands our needs. We have our Top 10 list, and it ticks all the boxes.
With a price tag of PHP 1,844,000, it gives us a package that seamlessly blends practicality with fun and flair. How can a woman refuse that?
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