Head to Head: GWM Haval Jolion HEV vs Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid

Toyota’s Corolla Cross has risen to be one of the most popular crossovers in the market, as of late. It’s also great to see that the model has achieved great success for the brand in the country, and the hybrid variant garnered a lot of popularity from Filipino car buyers. 

Safe to say, it made a splash, and it’s something that GWM is looking forward to with its new lineup of models, and like the Corolla Cross, the Haval Jolion HEV serves as the entry-level crossover with hybrid technology in tow. With their bold decision to introduce hybrids right off the bat, things are looking suitable for GWM, but spec-for-spec, is it better than the Toyota? Let’s see.

In terms of the exterior design, neither one crossover looks offensive both look good in their own right. We will admit that the Corolla Cross looks its best with the GR-S kit on, but that would have pushed the model too far up in price versus the Jolion to make sense. So the standard Hybrid variant of the Toyota Corolla Cross is here for this head-to-head. 

The Jolion presents decent looks. Presentable is the word here and it does make a great case for itself on the exterior front with various textures, and an all-LED affair for the headlights which is great considering the strength that LED technology can bring on the road. On top of that, the model also features a large grille with a very conspicuous finish in brushed metal. The rear is also quite shapely with an interesting pattern at the back formed by LED bars. Overall, the Jolion presents a very decent appearance package for the Philippine market. The vehicle also rolls on 18-inch wheels for this top-of-the-line variant. While it is not too aggressive in terms of its design, it’s a safe play for GWM and a good look for the brand in the Philippines at least for now. Whether or not this design ages well will be left to the discretion of father time, but anyway, on to the Toyota. 

The Corolla Cross has been dominating the minds and garages of many progressive-thinking Filipinos as of late. Hybrid technology is great, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at the exterior of the car unless you look closer. The hybrid variant of the Corolla Cross has somewhat more timeless styling, but the model actually loses out a little bit when it comes to exterior specifications. For example, the model makes do with LED headlights, but with sprinklings of halogen all around, foglamps, indicators, and reverse lights included. As a package, it gets the job done, but it is not nearly as flashy as the Jolion. Following that, you get a large grille up front, but the finish is sleeker with piano black. 

Throwing number comparisons at you, the GWM is longer and wider than the Corolla Cross, but the Cross sits taller, however, the wheelbase of the Jolion is longer than the Corolla Cross. The measurements are as follows: 4,472 mm versus 4,460 mm long, 1,841 mm versus 1,825 mm wide, 1,619 mm versus 1,620 mm tall, and 2,700 mm versus 2,640 mm wheelbase, GWM Haval Jolion HEV vs the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, respectively. The wheels are both 18 inches in diameter. 

So it’s a battle between the newcomer and the “oldtimer,” in a manner of speaking. The GWM presents a lot of cars for the money that you pay, and it makes do with the style that it was given plus add-ons that will meaningfully impact your drive—as is the case with the LEDs. However, the Toyota does look more timeless and its simple design is a mainstay on Philippine roads so it appears that a lot of people actually appreciate the look of the Corolla Cross. However, if we were to crown a winner, it might have to be the Jolion since Toyota is a little behind the times when it comes to its lighting systems and the fact that the Jolion is the bigger car of the two minus the height. For this round, the Jolion gets it, but not by much. The Corolla Cross is just a bit behind, but that’s something that a mid-cycle update will fix. 

Winner: Haval Jolion HEV 

The interior of either crossover will get you about the same space, but interior design is a different story. GWM took a more over-the-top approach when designing the car, giving it a splash of color, and lots of interesting surfaces and shapes. Even the gear selector is a dial which is a far cry from the standard levers we get in most crossovers. However, while the model is a standout, it’s not exactly a ground-breaking design, and the only thing that you’d have to get used to is the gear selector dial, but that’s about it. Basically, it’s a thoroughly modern interior with an interesting color palette. 

Then you have the Corolla Cross, it’s safe, it’s black, it’s kind of boring. The Corolla’s interior is nothing special, which is to say that it is not flashy in any way. The interior is about the same size as the Jolion, but it’s definitely more conventional in which it doesn’t take any risks. Color palette aside, it’s not too spartan. You have decent materials all around, and a design that looks like it will age well over time. Everything from the infotainment placement to the gauge cluster design all seems inoffensive, plus the use of a footbrake along with a standard gear selector makes it feel familiar. 

All-in-all, it will really depend on the user here. For us, you do get more in the Jolion, but there is a difference in style that we feel will make or break the deal. For consumers who are looking for a simple experience that will age with grace, the Corolla Cross is definitely going to be up your alley in terms of interior design. Meanwhile, the Jolion feels very flashy with a lot of interesting colors. Now, more is better in this case, but being overdone might put off a few customers. As such,  this section will end in a tie. 

TIE

This section is where some separation will be felt but barely. While both cars offer advanced features, the fundamentals are also of note. Both come with modern infotainment systems with a few features that one has over the other. 

GWM put a 12.3-inch Touch Screen with a six-speaker audio system for the infotainment system, and it gets both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard in this trim. This is also the biggest infotainment system that you can get for the model, and it also complements the digital gauge cluster for the driver. Driving information and media information are displayed clearly, and the graphics are a bit flashy but good enough to be legible and read. On top of that, you also get cruise control with adaptive functions and other stuff that we’ll touch more about in the safety section. 

Meanwhile, you’re still getting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the Corolla Cross, but things are generally smaller with an eight-inch infotainment system mated to six speakers which is also complemented by a still sizeable gauge cluster. Advanced driving features are also available here with every bit of safety available for the segment—again more on that later. 

Overall, what is better? Well, it’s a bit of a wash in terms of the number of usable features, but where the Jolion excels is really with the size of the infotainment system and how much more modern its features seem to be on the tech front. There’s more to unpack, but overall, the Jolion has a better tech pack than the Corolla Cross in terms of how big things are. 

Winner: Haval Jolion HEV 

On the safety front, both cars are giving you a lot more than just airbags, both cars have six by the way along with ABS with EBD, traction control, stability control, and all the other stuff. 

The Jolion has a bunch of features and listing them all you get Driver Fatigue Monitoring System Event Data Recorder, Secondary Collision Mitigation System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Center Keeping Assist, Intelligent Cornering Control, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Change Assist, and Automatic Crash Unlock Function. You also get a reverse camera for the model. 

Meanwhile, the Corolla Cross gets a Toyota Safety Sense suite which includes a pre-collision system, automatic high beam, lane tracing assist, lane departure assist, and dynamic radar cruise control. Aside from that, you also get blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert along with a reverse camera and parking sensors. 

In this section, while the Jolion is more or less evenly matched with the Corolla Cross, the tiebreaker is the ASEAN NCAP. While we don’t think that GWM will make a car that is unsafe and not crash-tested, for now, the Corolla Cross looks like it is the safer car of the two. Until GWM can run the Jolion through the ASEAN NCAP’s gamut of tests, then it might be the Corolla Cross that we would rather give the win, plus the Safety Sense suite is definitely a refined and competent system, as proven by our and the rest of the market’s experience with it. 

Winner: Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid 

Both models are hybrids, but there is an interesting development here. The Corolla Cross is something of a refined daily driver, and that engine and motor combo will bring you from standing to highway speeds eventually. It’s not a fast car, but the Jolion seems like it’s going to be a more exciting drive. 

The GWM comes with a 1.5-liter turbocharged motor that is paired with a powerful electric motor. Together, the model makes 186 hp and 375 Nm of torque, which is way more than what the Toyota is packing. 

Meanwhile, the Corolla Cross makes just 121 hp and 141 Nm of torque out of a 1.8-liter gasoline engine plus electric motor combo. While it is good enough for most tasks, it’s definitely the less powerful of the two. 

With that, the GWM wins this round. Do take note that longevity doesn’t play into this comparison. 

Winner: Haval Jolion HEV

It seems like you’re getting a great deal with the Jolion HEV compared to the Corolla Cross Hybrid with regard to features and the price that you pay. 

The Jolion HEV goes for P1,588,000 which is a bit of a bargain considering that you get a full parallel hybrid system and all the features in tow. 

Meanwhile, the Toyota Corolla Cross goes for P1,680,000 for the base hybrid electric variant. The model can be specced out as a GR-S variant, but that will make the price go over the 1.8 million Peso mark. 

It goes without saying, but the GWM Haval Jolion HEV does present a great value in terms of its features and its price. It’s about P100,000 more affordable than the Toyota, and it gets the win in this section of the comparison. 

Winner: Haval Jolion HEV

It’s hard to think that the GWM Jolion HEV was able to compete against the Toyota Corolla Cross at all. Being a new entry into the market, it’s interesting to see it stack up right out of the gate. The thing is, however, this is Toyota we’re talking about, and if a brand knows how to make a car with staying power, it’s them. 

Staying power or not, the Corolla Cross does leave something to be desired. For that, it appears that GWM wanted to match the Corolla Cross, and then put its own spin on it by adding a few touches of its own. We can say that the Jolion looks like it is the better deal based on this spec sheet surfing, but is it really better than the Corolla Cross? Time will tell, but GWM does have something worth looking at if you want to get into hybrid cars now.