Toyota recently extended the Corolla family with a fresh-faced crossover. But what if the Japanese firm added a baby bakkie to the mix?
Well, the folks over at KDesign AG has imagined what a bakkie based on the new Corolla Cross might look like, releasing renders of a unibody pickup that would theoretically rival Ford’s upcoming Maverick.
Interestingly, the digital artist opted to keep the crossover’s four-door layout, effectively creating a small double-cab bakkie. By the looks of things, the wheelbase has been suitably lengthened to accommodate the small load bay. KDesign AG furthermore added handy roof racks integrated with a styling bar that attaches to the edge of the load bay.
As a reminder, the Corolla Cross used as a base for these renderings rides on the Japanese firm’s TNGA (GA-C) platform with a wheelbase of 2 640 mm. It measures 4 460 mm long, 1 825 mm and 1 620 mm tall, which sees it slot in above the C-HR and below the RAV4.
In Thailand, the Corolla Cross is offered with a choice of two powertrains. The first is a naturally aspirated 1,8-litre petrol unit, delivering 103 kW and 177 N.m to the front axle via a continuously variable transmission. The second is a hybrid version of the same (detuned) four-cylinder unit, with a total system output of 90 kW.
Toyota South Africa Motors says it is “unable to confirm” whether the Corolla Cross will be offered locally, though we’re left wondering whether this will turn out to be the mystery model the company plans to start building at its Prospecton plant in KwaZulu-Natal late in 2021…
