Despite the coronavirus pandemic, UMW Toyota Motor has had a busy 2020. After two low-profile mid-year launches, the RAV4 and 2021 GR Supra, the company truly got the ball rolling in October with the facelifted Hilux’s debut. But it saved the best for last, swinging for the fences earlier this month with the facelifted Vios and Yaris, the world premiere of the Vios GR Sport and the hotly-anticipated GR Yaris.
The GR Yaris, in particular, was a triumph for the company. We’re one of only two Southeast Asian countries to have received the rally-inspired hot hatch, and while Thailand got it first, our car is way cheaper, slotting just under the RM300,000 mark. We also received a far higher allocation, with no less than 127 units for you to get your hands on.
But our attention now turns to next year, which promises to be another big one for Toyota – it finally looks to be mounting a proper challenge to the Honda HR-V‘s hegemony with the Corolla Cross. The new Harrier and facelifted Camry, Innova and Fortuner are also expected to arrive in 2021.
Toyota Corolla Cross
Despite the name, the Corolla Cross isn’t quite a C-segment competitor – it’s bigger than a C-HR, sure, but it’s cheaper to build and has a torsion beam rear suspension instead of the latter’s more expensive double wishbones. In particular, the lower cost ensures the car will be well poised to take on the HR-V in a way that the pricier and less practical C-HR hasn’t been able to do convincingly in ASEAN.
The Corolla Cross’ positioning in the SUV market will make it Toyota’s most important model in 2021; it’s no coincidence that it has discontinued the C-HR in Malaysia. The car has already proved to be more than a match for the HR-V, outselling the perennial bestseller in Thailand. The question is, can it do so here?
As it is with everything in Malaysia, it all boils down to price. To have any chance of being competitive, UMW Toyota will have to assemble the car locally. If it does, the Corolla Cross will be the first CKD car sold here to be based on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), as past models – the C-HR, Camry, Corolla, RAV4 and GR Yaris – have all been fully imported from either Thailand or Japan.
Assembling the car here would also increase the likelihood of a hybrid model, which would benefit from import and excise duty exemptions. In Thailand, the Corolla Cross Hybrid is powered by a 98 PS/142 Nm 1.8 litre Atkinson-cycle engine and a 72 PS/163 Nm electric motor, delivering a total system output of 122 PS.
Toyota Harrier
From the bottom of Toyota’s SUV range, we now move to the very top. The new fourth-generation Harrier was launched in Japan in June, so it should arrive on Malaysian shores next year. It will almost certainly be fully imported from its home country, and given that the RAV4 already retails around the RM200,000 mark, expect the larger and more luxurious Harrier to be significantly pricier than the outgoing model.
One cause of possible consternation is that the new Harrier loses the old car’s 2.0 litre turbocharged engine, utilising the RAV4’s naturally-aspirated Dynamic Force mill and CVT instead. This unit won’t have the forced induction shove that premium car buyers are used to, and the more powerful 2.5 litre hybrid powertrain will likely be much too expensive to be offered here.
Toyota Camry facelift
Another one of Toyota’s pricier models, the Camry should soon get the facelift introduced in the United States in July. The changes are fairly minor and are limited to an even more expressive front bumper, a top-mounted floating infotainment touchscreen, new trim and upholstery options and an upgraded Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+. The suite of driver assistance systems adds new cyclist and oncoming vehicle detection functions, emergency steering assist, improved adaptive cruise control and a rear seat reminder.
Beyond the facelift, however, we’re expecting the Camry to finally receive the latest 209 PS/250 Nm 2.5 litre Dynamic Force engine and eight-speed automatic transmission. We were told that the current car’s outdated powertrain – which has been used since 2015 – resulted from a supply bottleneck for the new mill. This issue should be fixed, paving the way for the new car to get the engine it had always been designed for.
If the Corolla Cross does get assembled here, the Camry could be the next in line, lowering the current circa-RM190,000 price. This would likely see the reintroduction of new variants, including a cheaper 2.0 litre model and maybe even a hybrid. However, the law of diminishing returns means that Toyota might save local assembly for cheaper models with greater volume.
Toyota Innova facelift
With the facelifted Hilux now on sale, the pick-up’s other IMV siblings are next. The Innova MPV received a nip and tuck in October, sporting a new chrome-trimmed grille, a more aggressive front bumper and a hexagonal rear number plate garnish, plus redesigned wheel options.
Toyota has been fairly aggressive in proliferating the Toyota Safety Sense suite across the Malaysian lineup, so expect the Innova to come with the assists introduced on the new Hilux, including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist. As for the engine, the car should soldier on with the same 163 PS/183 Nm 2.0 litre naturally-aspirated mill as before.
Toyota Fortuner facelift
Last but not least is the facelifted Fortuner, revealed in August with a redesigned front bumper, a larger grille, revised bi-LED headlights and three-dimensional LED taillights. There’s also a sportier Legender model in Thailand that amps up the visual aggression a few notches, although we’re not sure if it’s coming here.
New features include an Optitron instrument cluster with a 4.2-inch multi-info display, steering wheel paddle shifters and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror. The Fortuner also gets the aforementioned Toyota Safety Sense systems, plus an upgraded 204 PS/500 Nm 2.8 litre turbodiesel that’s more powerful and refined. Fuel consumption has also been reduced across the board.
GALLERY: Toyota Corolla Cross
GALLERY: Toyota Harrier
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GALLERY: Toyota Camry facelift
GALLERY: Toyota Innova facelift
GALLERY: Toyota Fortuner facelift
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With many countries putting a ban on combustion /diesel cars, EV is the future. So car mfg like Toyota is just reaping the last scoop of soup. If the asking price doesn’t match the dated technology, just skip it!
Why not introduce innova cross or sedan…the more the merrier…
New models. Reliable and good RV, Toyota
Mercedes in 2021?
With no local EV here. is Kereta terbang the future
Only confirmed. Corolla Cross priced rm120k,
Should be hot cake next yr.
But for sure perodua d55l is a big bang next year.
Everyone stock up money for it now.
You keep injecting D55L into your messages, care to explain that? Looks like spam and advertising / desperado plugging from where I am looking.
eh?
EDITOR is sounding out our resident P2 sales troll.
Perodua also using toyota engine. So why not?
I thought all this while perodua is our national car company. Rupanya dia pakai enjin dan kereta toyota! Miti tolong tarik balik status kereta nasional dari perodua sekarang juga.
Boss, different segment but both D55L SUV and Corolla Cross will sell like hotcakes
bravo Toyota
Still no news on the Corolla GR-Sport :(
Well, heard that Corolla GR Sport will bring here to Malaysia according from few sources. Hopefully, UMW Toyota will willing to bring Corolla GR Sport next year.
Please include the Dynamic force engine also for GR sport version…
The Cross is pretty interesting if it gets the CKD route here. It would give Toyota a go at the X70 and CR-V however this segment is pretty crowded at the moment since everyone has one and customers are also buying them like no tomorrow.
Bro ur X70 gearbox apa macam?
Many face-lift, so that is all for Toyota….
Many facelift coming: Fortuner, Innova, Camry
Two new models coming: Corolla Cross and Harrier
The camry new facelift better avoid it or improves with sportier looks. New facelift looks more uncle and boring than current camry
New facelift doesn’t look more uncle and boring anymore. Not like previous gens toyota models
Nice. Moving forward to next year cars
If only camry is sold at old price it can do wonders. Looks really good
no issue if corolla cross is imported from thailand nr indonesia as the import tax between asea countries is set at 5% max as per AFTA deal.
its actually even cheaper this way than doing own assembly since first you will need to buy assembly jigs worth millions of ringgit and if current assembly lines are not sufficient than the company may need to expand the facility. more costs incurred will be transferred to each car as costs.
others include logistics (transportation and warehouse storage) not to mention the training and and getting local vendors as supplier to minimum 40% local content.
we already saw this with proton shah alam to tg malim, nissan segambut to serendah and toyota shah alam to bkt raja klang.
in fact toyota malaysia has bèen grabbing the opportunities for low volume models like the previous Rush (indonesia), current Rush (perodua plant), sienta, wish and first Yaris NCP91 (actually second Yaris in line), the late 2000s corolla altis and camrys. its jist made more sense.
but they decides to.do CKD again for Camrys due to reason like long waiting list and colour choices not favouring malaysia market.
https://paultan.org/2018/06/18/honda-hr-v-facelift-launched-in-thailand-new-rs-spec-with-aeb-lanewatch-glass-roof-pearl-red/
Honda HR-V 1.8L AEB Spec
RM 136k in 2018
RM 150k in 2020
For the same 1.19Mil Baht.
RM drop so much…
No wonder X50 so expensive RM 103k B segment compact SUV
Just for the AEB
But when comes to price for Corolla Cross based on CKD, it will be more cheaper than CBU. Yet, people will more buying CKD because of that and which will also favour for malaysian market. Compare what we get CBU Chr, it cost a lot which is RM150k and can see some of CBU Chr on the road but not a lot on the road. That’s why umw toyota are also deciding to discontinue Chr and that Toyota Thailand will not longer producing gasoline 1.8 engine which decided to manufacture hybrid engine only for CH-R. And if bringing CH-R hybrid imported from thailand to here, price will get worse than 1.8 gasoline CHR.
I don’t know if you guys know this but a So-called Innova Zenix is rumored to be launched in Malaysia and Philippines.
Looking forward the New Harrier, the XU80. It’s time to change my ACU30/XU30 that has served me for the last 15 years without any major problem. I hope the price & specs would be not so UMW, like what happen to RAV4, CH-R etc, which I think has failed and not attractive to the potential buyers
The Size of Corolla Cross is between segments C and B. Here in Indonesia the direct competitors are the Tucson, CX30 and the Eclipse Cross.
TYT Corolla Cross Rival range included:
BMW X1
Benz GLC
Audi Q3
Kia Sportage
Mazda CX30
Hyundai Tucson
VW Tiguan
Honda HR-V
They always a little to late by loosing market position gradually, after waiting for new Camry 2.0 that never come, I change to Outlander 2.0 from Altis 1.8 in 2019 after use Altis for eight years…
I think the 163 PS for the Toyota Innova is not correct. The power is rather unbelievable considering Toyota Innova has always been using old engine tech. The Toyota TR engine it uses is known for its reliability not performance.
Toyota Cross in Thailand, the DRCC is not full speed (until stop).
hope the corolla cross being ckd and priced cheaper
When will Toyota bring in the Toyota Grandia Aka – newest Hiace – aka – economic Alphard?