Toyota Cuts the Entry-Level Corolla Cross Hybrid for 2027

Toyota has dropped the Hybrid S from the 2027 Corolla Cross, so the cheapest way into a Corolla Cross Hybrid is now the SE at $31,415.

That leaves two hybrid trims, the SE and the XSE, and both come with all-wheel drive. The gas Corolla Cross keeps all three of its trims, the L, LE and XLE, and the lineup still opens with the gas L at $25,535, so the gap between the cheapest gas model and the cheapest hybrid is now $5,880. Both prices exclude Toyota’s destination fee.

AutoGuide reported that removing the Hybrid S is the main change for 2027, and that the rest of the Corolla Cross carries over mechanically. Carscoops confirmed the same two starting prices and the SE’s new role as the entry hybrid.

The hybrid pairs a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with electric motors for 196 combined horsepower, and its electric all-wheel drive uses a separate rear motor to add traction when the front wheels slip. It is rated at 46 mpg city, 39 highway and 42 combined in both trims. The gas models use a 169-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a CVT with a physical launch gear, with front-wheel drive or an all-wheel-drive system that can disconnect the rear axle to save fuel, and they return up to 31 mpg combined with FWD or 30 mpg with AWD. Every Corolla Cross can tow 1,500 pounds.

Inside, the SE and the gas LE can be ordered with a 10.5-inch touchscreen in place of the 8-inch unit, and the XLE and XSE get the larger screen and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster as standard. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 are standard on every trim. The Corolla Cross is built in Huntsville, Alabama, alongside the Mazda CX-50, and the 2027 models are due at dealers this fall.

The hybrid has been losing ground inside its own lineup. Toyota’s third-quarter sales report shows 13,905 Corolla Cross Hybrids sold through September, down 43.5%, while total Corolla Cross sales rose 22.9% to 90,131.

The Toyota Report Take

Cutting the Hybrid S makes the lineup simpler, but it also moves the hybrid further from the shoppers most likely to want it, people cross-shopping a gas Corolla Cross and weighing fuel savings against the price. With hybrid sales already falling while the gas model takes off, a $5,880 spread between the two starting points makes that decision easier to answer with the gas car. Toyota should give the SE a sharper price or bring back a simpler hybrid if it wants the Corolla Cross Hybrid to grow again.