The Toyota Corolla Cross gets a facelift in China this time

Toyota seems to be out on a mission to globally refresh one of its best-selling models, the Corolla Cross. We first saw it in Europe, then Japan got a similar but slightly different version with special headlights, and now, it’s the turn of China to get the update.

For some clarification, this is called the Toyota Frontlander, and this is made by the joint venture between GAC-Toyota. Toyota also has a partnership with FAW to produce other models, such as the Land Cruiser Prado.

If you’ve seen the facelifted Corolla Cross, the updated slim LED headlights and C-shaped LED taillights make it over here, but the Frontlander receives its own special front bumper that looks more like an electric vehicle, plus a slim grille, and it has region-specific 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, the updated Frontlander (Corolla Cross) looks drastically different from the global Corolla Cross.

The entire upper dashboard layout has been redesigned with a slimmer and angular motif, down to the slimmer air vents, the new 64-color ambient lighting, and two new displays—an 8.8-inch digital driver’s display and a 12.9-inch infotainment screen running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon SA8155P, and a China-only operating system that also integrates the climate controls within the system

The redesigned lower center console may look similar to the global models, but it also incorporates the ambient lighting and a 50W wireless charger, a trend seen in most Chinese cars.

The full suite of Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 advanced driver aids is present, and it also has the same hybrid system underneath with a 2.0-liter in-line-four gas engine and an electric motor putting out a combined 155 horsepower and 188 Nm of torque, mated to an eCVT.

So, with all the different variants of the Corolla Cross, which is your favorite revision? And do you think our recently updated Corolla Cross should also receive these changes?

^{Photos from GAC-Toyota}