Toyota Corolla Cross vs Hyundai Venue vs Volkswagen T-Cross: Which one has the lowest running costs?

Toyota is going to great lengths to promote its sporty GR sub-brand in the local market, and products such as the Corolla Cross are the perfect vehicles in which they can find new customers that are excited about the brand, but still want an efficient crossover. The GR-S certainly looks the part, but at its core, it is ultimately still a practical family crossover, so how does it compare with the Hyundai Venue and Volkswagen T-Cross in terms of running costs?

The figures

	Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 GR-Sport / GR-S	Hyundai Venue 1.0T N Line	Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0TSI 85kW Comfortline R-Line
Engine size	4-cyl, 1.8-litre petrol	3-cyl, 1.0-litre turbo petrol	3-cyl, 1.0-litre turbo petrol
Power/Torque	103 kW/172 Nm	88 kW/175 Nm	85 kW/200 Nm
Gearbox	CVT	7-speed dual-clutch auto	7-speed dual-clutch auto
Seats	5	5	5
Airbags	7	6	6
Driven wheels	Front	Front	Front
Load Capacity	440-litres	343-litres	377-litres
Fuel capacity	47-litres	45-litres	40-litres
Claimed consumption	6.8 L/100 km	6.9 L/100 km	5.3 L/100 km
CO2 emissions	154 g/km	138 g/km	126 g/km
Service plan	6 service/90 000km	3-year /45 000km	3-year/45 000km
Price	R453 200	R449 900	R453 100

 

Related: Toyota Corolla Cross GR Sport (2022) First Drive Review

Comparing the trio

Purchase price

The models we have chosen for this comparison are competitors from a pricing and body-style perspective. Monthly instalments are calculated throughout 72 months with a 10% deposit and no balloon or residual. The interest rate is set at 11%.

Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 GR-Sport / GR-S

With the instalment parameters in place, the GR-S will work out at R7 764 per month over 72 months.

Hyundai Venue 1.0T N Line

With the instalment parameters in place, the Venue will work out at R 7 707 per month over 72 months.

Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0TSI 85kW Comfortline R-Line

With the instalment parameters in place, the T-Cross will work out at R7 762 per month over 72 months.

Fuel consumption

On paper, the Volkswagen has the lowest claimed fuel consumption followed by the Hyundai and then the Toyota. The real-world figures produced by the trio will very likely yield similar figures for the T-Cross and Venue, while the larger capacity, naturally aspirated engine paired with a CVT in the Corolla Cross is likely to be the heaviest on fuel.

Service plans

Both the Hyundai and Volkswagen come with 3-year/45 000km service plans, however, the Toyota's superior 6-service/90 000km plans wins it this round.

Verdict

Having looked at the data, in the first five years of ownership, we would be confident that the Toyota Corolla Cross will have the lowest running costs of the three products being compared thanks to its longer service plan.