Bridge the gap: Toyota Corolla Cross vs Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross vs Alfa Romeo Tonale comparison
If you’re not sure whether you want to jump straight into an EV, there are some alternatives in the market that might be more practical and better suited to your lifestyle and driving patterns. Here we pit a hybrid and two plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) against each other, and the results may surprise you.
Alfa Romeo Tonale Q4 PHEV
Alfa Romeo remains one of the oldest and most recognisable European brands, its foundation built on sports cars and motor racing success dating back to the 1920s and ’30s. While well-known there, the marque has had a chequered history in Australia, retaining a loyal band of enthusiasts wedded to its iconic serpent and cross coat of arms and stylish visual design.
Prices for its Tonale compact SUV start at $50,900 and jump to $78,500 for the Q4 PHEV – a figure sure to test even the most ardent Alfa supporter. The powertrain uses a 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine (132kW and 270Nm) coupled to a six-speed auto transmission driving the front wheels, while the addition of a 90kW electric motor delivers a total output of 208kW.
The electric motor drives the rear wheels and a 15.5kWh lithium-ion battery provides an electric range of 60km. Although the PHEV drivetrain adds 320kg to the platform, claimed combined fuel consumption is a measly 1.5L/100km.
The Tonale PHEV differs from Mitsubishi’s Eclipse Cross in that it only offers AC charging – meaning you can charge up at home but not on public DC fast chargers while you’re out and about. Its standard kit is extensive, headed up by a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, sat-nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 14-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, heated and ventilated front seats with eight-way electric adjustment, sunroof, and a dual stage damper system.
While a five-star ANCAP safety rating applies to conventional Tonales, the PHEV remains unrated. It does have the full gamut of driver assistance features available, however, including active blind spot assistance with rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance, and driver behaviour warning.
There’s no mistaking the Tonale’s sporty pedigree when you settle in. The steering wheel mounted stop/start button and console rotary dial drive mode/damper adjustment are points of difference in this comparison. The well-bolstered front seats hold occupants snugly but the second row isn’t as comfy, with leg room and foot space on the tight side.
The electric motor needs space and the loser is cargo volume, reduced by 115 litres over the petrol variants, although the ski hatch allows for longer items to be threaded through. An inflator kit occupies some of the space normally reserved for a temporary spare wheel.
On-road, the Tonale is the sportiest of the trio when fully charged, yet fails to really connect as a driver’s car. The steering is very lightly weighted at low speed, highlighting its directness and a suspension tune in normal setting that’s on the firm side for daily duties, but in dynamic mode is too harsh, even over relatively smooth roads.
Once the 60km indicated battery range was exhausted, performance levels dropped and the Tonale felt much like a regular small SUV to drive, returning 3.7L/100km on our drive loop.
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Exceed PHEV
Launched in 2018, the Eclipse Cross range was supposed to replace Mitsubishi’s long-serving ASX small SUV. Buyers had other ideas, continuing to purchase the ASX, and the pair only reached some sort of sales parity recently. The Eclipse Cross PHEV was introduced in mid-2021, using well-proven technology from the larger Outlander PHEV.
The 2.4-litre petrol engine develops 94kW and 200Nm, while the front and rear electric motors produce 60kW and 70kW respectively. Combined power and torque figures aren’t quoted but Outlander PHEVs previously had a combined 157kW and 332Nm, so expect the Eclipse Cross to be close to that.
Unpicking the powertrain reveals a complex piece of kit. With three modes – EV, series hybrid, and parallel hybrid – all interconnected, it provides an EV range of 55km. At low charge, the petrol engine/generator powers the electric drive motors and charges the battery under high load conditions. It’s possible to add range back into the battery while driving but it won’t replenish to full charge – you’ll need to plug it into a DC fast charger or AC power point for that.
In parallel hybrid mode the 2.4-litre petrol engine does the grunt work, powering the front wheels just like a normal 2WD SUV. While cruising on the open road the system is more reliant on the petrol engine and resulting fuel consumption mirrors a conventional petrol SUV. The Eclipse Cross also has vehicle-to-load (V2L) capacity of 1500 watts, meaning you can power a range of electrical goods via an outlet in the rear cargo area.
The $56,490 price tag for the PHEV represents a premium of $13,000 over the equivalent Eclipse Cross Exceed powered by a turbo 1.5-litre petrol engine. Standard features mirror those in the naturally aspirated Exceed and include LED headlights, a full-length sunroof, powered front seats, heated rear seats, sat-nav, a head-up display, and an electric tailgate.
While the previous generation Eclipse Cross achieved a five-star ANCAP safety rating, 2024 models remain unrated. Mitsubishi’s MiTec safety pack is nonetheless comprehensive, entailing adaptive cruise control with stop function and lane change assistance, lane departure warning, and rear cross traffic alert, plus the Exceed features accidental acceleration mitigation.
Mitsubishi’s five-year warranty extends to 10 years/200,000km if you choose to service the vehicle within its network – great peace of mind for a complex mechanical drivetrain – and the capped price servicing schedule (12 months/15,000km) is just under $6000 over 10 years. As with the Tonale, the battery carries an eight-year/160,000km warranty.
The Eclipse Cross has an unnaturally high driving position compared to the Corolla Cross and Tonale, setting the theme for the overall driving experience. The practical interior is resplendent with shiny piano black surfaces and has good storage provided in the high centre console, while the instrument cluster is clear and easy to interpret.
Front seat comfort rivals the Tonale, though the rear seats lack shape and have less foot space. As in the Tonale, concession to the electric motor reduces cargo volume, and the tapered rear roofline reduces practicality and the ability to carry bulky items. PHEV drive systems are complex and the Eclipse Cross is heavy, tipping the scales at 1960kg.
Around town in EV mode, the Eclipse Cross does indeed drive like an EV and, when the battery’s 50km range is exhausted, the transition between the modes is smooth and fuss free. It’s not particularly engaging to drive, however, and twists and turns are certainly not the Eclipse Cross’ natural habitat. Comfort biased suspension settings, dull steering and its considerable mass are the main culprits. We saw a fuel consumption return of 2.8L/100km.
Toyota Corolla Cross GXL Hybrid
What’s not to like about the enduring Corolla? Born in the 1960s and still going strong after 12 generations and more than 51 million sold worldwide, it’s one of the all-time greats. Toyota’s first model to feature hybrid drive, the Prius, was launched back in 2002 and a succession of models since has refined the powertrain.
Early concerns about battery life and mechanical reliability have been largely unfounded – ask any cabbie driving a Toyota hybrid and he’ll tell you it has been mostly a good experience. Toyota introduced the three-model Corolla Cross range here in 2022 with hybrid versions for an extra $2500. In mid-2024, Toyota discontinued petrol-only variants in models that offer hybrid alternatives, so the Corolla Cross is now exclusively hybrid.
The Corolla Cross Hybrid range now starts with the GX Hybrid 2WD priced at $36,480 and ends in the top-spec Atmos Hybrid AWD at $50,030. Our GXL Hybrid AWD test vehicle is sandwiched in the middle at $43,230 and looks like a scaled down version of the RAV4, or an upscaled version of the Yaris Cross, highlighting Toyota’s consistent design approach to its SUVs.
Powering the Corolla Cross is a 112kW/190Nm 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder petrol engine and 83kW/206Nm motor generator that together produce a power figure of 146kW (no combined torque figure is provided). Claimed combined fuel consumption is 4.4L/100km and a 1.1kWh lithium-ion battery stores energy from the motor generators.
Standard features for the mid-spec GXL include leather accented seats and steering wheel, dual zone climate control, a 10.5-inch infotainment screen with sat-nav, two USB-C ports, 17-inch alloys and a panoramic view monitor. Safety kit includes an expanded pre-collision system, enhanced lane keeping assistance, intersection collision avoidance, and emergency steering assistance, adding up to a five-star ANCAP rating.
Toyota’s warranty is five years/unlimited kilometres (extending to seven years for private buyers), with $230 capped price serving for the first five years. There’s not a lot of fanfare with the Corolla Cross’ internal design, though it’s nicely executed with soft-touch surfaces and an ergonomically sound layout. It’s a shame the phone charging pad is reserved only for the top-spec Atmos.
The front seats wouldn’t be out of place in a sporty model, with excellent bolstering and the most natural driving position of the trio, which isn’t compromised by the PHEVs’ underfloor mechanicals. The second row provides plenty of leg and foot room. With the electric motor eating into available space, cargo volume and practicality are reduced slightly and there’s no spare wheel, only an inflator kit. Toyota’s suspension setup for the AWD Corolla Cross is nicely balanced.
Around town the ride quality is excellent and through the bends it’s less cumbersome than the heavier Eclipse Cross and Tonale. Toyota’s hybrid drive system has been refined to the point where most drivers won’t feel any difference in the way the Corolla Cross drives over its ICE counterparts.
Smooth off the mark and mostly using the electric motors until the petrol engine kicks in, the Corolla Cross has plenty of torque available and remains strong at all times – unlike the PHEVs, where performance dips when the battery is exhausted. Our return of 4.4L/100km around town is impressive for a non-PHEV, too.
Final thoughts
Mitsubishi reckons the average commute is around 33km a day, easily achievable for these PHEVs with a real-world range of around 50km in EV mode. A diligent owner charging up at home will be able to avoid a servo forecourt for weeks.
PHEVs are expensive to purchase, however, and for that reason their weekly operating costs are high relative to ICE vehicles and regular hybrids. The further you drive, the more you rely on the petrol engine, evident in the Tonale using 7.0L/100km for the duration of its week on test.
The Corolla Cross Hybrid, meanwhile, won’t break the bank, drives like a regular small SUV and feels the least compromised dynamically on road, making it our preferred hybrid out of this trio.
Alfa Romeo Tonale Q4 PHEV
Engine: 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo; 90kW electric motor Transmission: six-speed auto Power: 132kW Torque: 208Nm Electric range: 60km Fuel consumption: 1.5L/100km (claimed) Spare wheel: inflator kit ANCAP: Not rated Price: $78,500 (plus ORC).
Toyota Corolla Cross GXL Hybrid
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder hybrid Transmission: CVT Power: 146kW Torque: 206Nm Fuel consumption: 4.4L/100km (claimed) Spare wheel: inflator kit ANCAP: Five stars Price: $43,230 (plus ORC).
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Exceed PHEV
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder; 60kW/90kW electric motors Transmission: single fixed Power: 94kW Torque: 200Nm Electric range: 55km Fuel consumption: 1.9L/100km (claimed) Spare wheel: inflator kit ANCAP: Not rated Price: $56,490 (plus ORC).
