What’s The Cheapest Toyota SUV You Can Buy In 2026 & How Much Does It Cost?
Toyota vehicles have a well-earned reputation for reliability and durability. This includes Toyota’s cheapest new 2026 SUV, the Corolla Cross. The Corolla Cross is also Toyota’s smallest SUV, and owners have good things to say about its reliability.
The 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross is available in two different versions, hybrid and non-hybrid. The least expensive Corolla Cross is the non-hybrid version, which can be purchased with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. All non-hybrid models are powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 169 horsepower, paired up with a CVT. Performance testing by Car and Driver showed a 0-60 mph time of 8.9 seconds for the FWD model and 9.2 seconds for the AWD model. The top speed of both is 120 mph.
The hybrid version of the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross is available with AWD. It uses a 2.0-liter engine boosted by three electric motors, providing a combined 196 horsepower fed through a CVT for the front wheels and a direct drive unit for the rears, resulting in a 0-60 time of 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 115 mph. Entry-level pricing for the least expensive 2026 Corolla Cross starts at $26,485 including delivery, processing, and handling fee, for the front-wheel drive, 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross non-hybrid L model. For all-wheel drive, add $1,300. The non-hybrid offers three different trim levels, the L, the LE, and the XLE.
Performance and pricing
If you want a new car on a budget, the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross is a good pick. Primary features on the L are a seven-inch digital gauge cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, six-speaker audio system with an eight-inch touchscreen, and LED projector headlights with automatic high beams.
Moving up to the $28,815 LE adds wireless phone charging, larger 10.5-inch touchscreen, 17-inch alloy wheels, push-button start, and roof rails. The top-of-the-line $31,410 XLE gets you 18-inch alloys, SofTex seats with heated fronts on AWD models, larger gauge cluster and touchscreen, and a heated steering wheel.
The hybrid models of the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross also come in three slightly different trim levels, the Hybrid S, the Hybrid SE, and the Hybrid XSE. The basic Hybrid S model is priced at $30,845, while the mid-range Hybrid SE model costs $32,165, and the maxed-out Hybrid XSE model will run you a total of $34,880 before any options. The items featured on the various trim levels of the hybrid models mirror those of the non-hybrids.
Other facts about the 2026 Corolla Cross
All 2026 Corolla Cross models will be built in the U.S., in Toyota’s plant in Huntsville, Alabama. This should help to isolate the Toyota Corolla Cross from most tariff-related cost pressures that might apply going forward. SlashGear’s review of the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid showed that it isn’t fun, but it is frugal.
Another major difference between the hybrid and non-hybrid models of the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross will be their different-looking front ends. Whereas the hybrid models wear a front fascia that is matched to the body’s exterior color, the non-hybrid models use a large, blacked-out grille that has a more rugged image.
Other items new for the 2026 Corolla Cross are new LED daytime running lights across the board, two new wheel options for the top-level XLE and Hybrid XSE trims, plus a new Cavalry Blue exterior color that is available on all except the base trim levels. All trims get an upgraded center console, while a cold weather package that includes heated front seats and steering wheel is standard on the top Hybrid XSE and XLE trims and optional on the mid-level Hybrid SE and LE.
As an SUV, the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross is capable of carrying 17 cu. ft. of cargo behind the rear seat and 44 cu. ft. with the rear seat folded. This greatly exceeds the capacity of either of the Corolla Cross’ cousins, the Corolla sedan and the Corolla hatchback.
