The B-segment SUV space here in Malaysia, specifically in the non-national segment, has long been dominated by the Honda HR-V – Toyota just never had a worthy competitor in the arena, with the only option being the pricey C-HR. Well, that could all be changing with the introduction of the all-new Toyota Corolla Cross.

We were given the opportunity to sample the 1.8G variant about one week before the Malaysian debut – and we’ve got to say that it matched every bit of our expectations, and then more.

The most impressive aspect of the Corolla Cross, is most definitely the comfort levels within the cabin. On the move, the comfort-oriented suspension set-up soaks up road undulations with poise, while road imperfections are barely discernable no matter which seat you occupy.

Noise levels are also minimal, which surprised us as the entry-level variant doesn’t get the acoustic glass treatment on the windshield and front windows – the 1.8V has these as standard.

Even though the Corolla Cross is geared towards comfort, that doesn’t mean that it can’t handle itself, too. In fact, it’s quite the opposite – the TNGA platform underpinning the crossover once again showed its magical capabilities in transforming its road-holding capabilities.

Yes, it has a simpler, “budget-oriented” torsion beam suspension at the rear, but that doesn’t take away too much of the fluid handling characteristics that we’ve come to love on other TNGA-based models. And on the upside, you get even more space at the rear for your cargo – specifically 440 litres of space, the largest in its class.

There’s still a lot to talk about, so be sure to check out the full video above. If you’re more of a text-reading person, we’ve also published a quick first-drive impressions review of the Toyota Corolla Cross – check that out here.

GALLERY