Hybrid crossover clash: GWM Haval Jolion vs. Toyota Corolla Cross

The crossover market in the Philippines has become competitive in recent years. Particularly cutthroat is the five-seater compact segment, where almost all of the locally present car brands have an entry vying to catch a piece of the proverbial market share pie. 

One of the newest brands to enter the said segment is Great Wall Motors Philippines (GWM) with the Haval Jolion Supreme hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). Like many of its rivals, it received a whole lot of tech, a stylish exterior, and a hybridized powertrain. 

The Haval Jolion HEV’s characteristics sound like it would entice a lot of buyers, but how does it fare against its biggest rivals? Let’s find out by comparing the GWM hybrid crossover with the Toyota Corolla Cross HEV.

Tale of the tape

In terms of size, the GWM Haval Jolion HEV is 4,472-millimeters (mm) long, 1,814-mm wide, and 1,574-mm in height. It also has a wheelbase length of 2,700-mm. 

Comparatively, the Toyota Corolla Cross HEV is 4,455-mm long, 1,825-mm wide, and 1,620-mm in height. It also has a wheelbase spanning 2,640-mm. 

Based on the size figures listed above, the Toyota model is marginally longer and wider compared to the GWM. The Jolion HEV, however, has a slightly longer wheelbase length. 

Exterior

On the outside, both crossovers were given contemporary styling cues. The Haval Jolion looks sleek and elegant, while the Corolla Cross gets a more angular look. Even sportier-looking is the GR-S trim, which received a blacked-out roof and more aggressively styled trim pieces. 

Common exterior features between the two hybrid crossovers are LED lighting fixtures, power-folding side mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlamp functionality, rear fog lamps, roof rails, and a sunroof. 

Roof-mounted rear spoilers and black-plastic side claddings likewise provide added styling for the two nameplates. The two also get roof rails, but only the Toyota HEV crossover comes with a power tailgate. 

Completing the look of the Haval Jolion HEV is a set of 18-inch alloy wheels. The Corolla Cross HEV, meanwhile, rides on a set of 18 or 17-inch alloy wheels, depending on the trim. 

Interior

Inside, both vehicles come with slick interiors that utilize a lot of soft-touch points. In both rides, the aforementioned are clad in leather. Other parts of the two models' insides do get some polished or silver-colored decorative trims. 

Other features found on both crossovers include automatic air-conditioning, power-adjustable front seats, leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a wireless charging pad, a 12-volt socket, a push-to-start button, a 60:40 split-folding rear seat, an electronic parking brake, a drive mode selector, and a digital gauge cluster, among others. 

Then again, only the Corolla Cross HEV comes with a tilt and telescopic steering wheel. The one on the GWM model, on the other hand, is tilt only. 

Concerning infotainment systems, the Chinese crossover was kitted out with a 12.3-inch touchscreen display with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The one on the Toyota is a slightly smaller 10-inch unit, but its Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have wireless functionality. 

Additionally, both vehicles also have a 10-piece speaker system. 

Safety

As expected from modern crossovers, both the GWM and the Toyota get a wealth of standard safety features. Both have anti-lock braking, stability control, traction control, ISOFIX child seat anchors, a car alarm, an engine immobilizer, a 360-degree view camera, and many others. 

The Haval Jolion does get six airbags, which is trumped by the seven-piece airbag set on the Corolla Cross. Plus, the Japanese model offers a total of four rear parking sensors, whereas the Chinese model only gets three. 

An array of advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS) support the said safety bits for the two hybrids. Both were equipped with adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure alert, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. 

Only the Toyota was fitted with automatic high-beam functionality. On the flip side, the GWM has several ADAS features, such as traffic jam assist, cross-traffic braking, intelligent cornering control, and a post-crash system, which are all absent on the Corolla Cross HEV. 

Powertrain

Under the hood of the GWM Haval Jolion HEV is a hybrid powertrain consisting of a 1.5-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor. In total, the said system can output up to 186 horsepower (hp) and 375 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque.  Power is sent to its front wheels via a dedicated hybrid transmission. 

The Toyota Corolla Cross HEV, on the other hand, uses a 1.8-liter gasoline engine mated to an electric motor. It has a total system output of 120 hp and 142 Nm of torque. It is also a front-wheel-drive model, but it utilizes a continuously variable transmission. 

Based on the said engine outputs, the GWM is, by far, the more powerful ride. Nevertheless, both use a four-wheel disc brake setup, as well as a similar McPherson strut (front) and torsion beam (rear) suspension system.  

Pricing

GWM Haval Jolion

-Haval Jolion HEV Supreme: P1.588 million

-Haval Jolion Supreme: P1.248 million

-Haval Jolion Max: P1.188 million

Toyota Corolla Cross

-Corolla Cross HEV GR-S: P1.917 million

-Corolla Cross HEV V: P1.763 million

-Corolla Cross HEV G: P1.498 million

Final thoughts

As established above, the GWM Haval Jolion HEV is a far peppier ride compared to the Toyota Corolla Cross HEV. Sure, both five-seater crossovers have nearly matching feature sets, but folks looking for a fun ride with plenty of power on tap might want to lean more toward the GWM model. 

Then again, the strength of the Corolla Cross is the fact that its hybrid powertrain is standard across all locally available trims. For reference, only the top-spec Haval Jolion gets a hybrid powertrain. 

Folks who are serious about getting a hybrid crossover, be it the GWM Haval Jolion HEV or the Toyota Corolla Cross HEV, are advised to take their choice of vehicle for a test drive first. 

Sure, reading off specs and specs comparisons like this can be useful for initial research, but getting some seat time behind the car you want to buy will make for a more informed purchase in the end. 

Also read: 

3 reasons why the Haval Jolion is perfect for first-time car buyers

GWM Tank 500 gets 5-star ANCAP rating

Cabin check: here’s what’s inside the Toyota Corolla Cross