For a good while now, hybrids have always been exclusive to higher trim levels or specific models that often command a hefty premium, effectively putting them out of reach of the masses.

Toyota Motor Philippines has tried to push electrification downstream with the Yaris Cross HEV. It was the most affordable hybrid in the lineup at the time, but you still had to get the top-of-the-line variant.

Drive one around and it was pretty obvious that the Daihatsu New Global Architecture-based platform—along with many superfluous features—leaves much to be desired. Enter the recently refreshed Corolla Cross, which has become an all-hybrid lineup.

And this G HEV variant is everything that you would possibly want out of a basic hybrid vehicle. A price tag of P1,498,000 (or P1,513,000 as tested with the Platinum White Pearl Mica paint) makes it the automaker’s most affordable hybrid offering.

The new front fascia is an improvement over the previous gaping maw face. It’s not for everyone as the Lexus spindle-inspired grille might make some folks’ skin crawl, but I find the new look handsome.

A pleasant surprise here is the presence of LED headlights with DRLs, LED fog lamps, and LED taillights (albeit with halogen turn signals and reverse lights)—all features once only seen on the mid-spec V.

The silver 17-inch wheels shod in chunky Bridgestone Alenza rubber don’t have much visual appeal, which reflects the whole of this car’s exterior—inoffensive and flies under the radar.

If you wanted extra flair, you could always opt for the GR-S.

The cockpit is mostly unchanged with its unusually large dashboard, which has lots of black plastics in different textures (gloss, matte, hard, and soft-touch), and some satin-silver highlights.

Build quality is solid (as it is a true Toyota), with some minimal creaks coming from the front of the dashboard and the D-pillar when driving. Bonus points for the lovely analog gauge cluster, which is highly legible, and the dual-zone climate control with physical switches.

However, I would have to dock off points for the new 10-inch infotainment system. The old one was just fine.

The interface design resembles an older head unit from the early 2010s.  While it has a degree of system functionality integrated (like having a fan speed pop-up or an energy flow meter), you can’t configure a lot of features (like the auto headlight sensitivity).

Even the audio processing sounds worse compared to the old Toyota-developed head unit with physical volume controls, which is a shame given how nice the six speakers sound when tuned properly.

While I would be fine with leaving the screen in Apple CarPlay most of the time, it’s a big bother when the wireless connection is unstable.

Swapping over to a wired connection didn’t help as much, as it was prone to disconnection and getting confused with other paired smartphones in the car, even when trying different cables. The head unit would try to trigger a wireless connection while a phone was physically connected.

The included wireless charger is well-thought-out: It can physically be turned on and off, and has a guide for positioning phones. You will have to insert taller phones upside down to get them charging, though.

Apart from that, there are two USB ports (Type A and C) on the face of the head unit (which can look ugly), and a single USB-C port under the armrest beside the 12V socket.

The manually adjusted fabric seats are very comfortable and have decent bolstering. Finding the ideal driving position is easy, so you can go on long drives without experiencing back pain.

The Corolla Cross has exceptional front and rear visibility, thanks to the low beltline common among Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) vehicles.

There’s a small transmission hump, and the rear seats are slightly raised to accommodate the hybrid battery, but the headroom and the legroom are still plentiful as you’d expect from a crossover with a wheelbase of 2,640mm.

Rear passengers get four cupholders (two by the rear door cards and two at the center armrest), air vents, and a reclinable two-position rear bench.

It also boasts a large cargo area of 487L, which is expandable with the 60:40-split rear seats.

There’s an allocation for a load cover (which this does not have), and (on the G) a full-size spare tire. Higher grades get a space-saver spare, so take this into consideration.

This car does not have any sort of advanced driver aids. Just the basics: seven airbags, antilock brakes, traction control, front and rear parking sensors, a backing-up camera, and an excellent dual-dashcam setup.

It also has the myToyota Connect suite of connected-car features, so you’ll be able to monitor the car’s location and status at all times from the comfort of your smartphone.

As for how it drives, it’s nothing special. You have to remember that this is a commuter car.

The steering is comfort-oriented, but it still provides good feedback and weight. It does not have heavy regenerative braking, unlike other hybrids, so the braking and the coasting pretty much feel like a regular ICE vehicle.

As expected from a crossover, the handling won’t light your pants on fire with noticeable body roll, but the thicker tires provide a cushier ride. NVH performance is reasonable at expressway speeds.

A bonus is a switch over from the old (mechanical) foot brake to an electronic parking brake, which also adds auto brake hold.

Even with the added power of the hybrid system, the total output sits at 120hp and 142Nm. It won’t make the front tires chirp like other hybrids do when you floor it from a stop, but it has enough zest to make the powertrain feel like a large-displacement motor.

Drive it like a senior citizen would and it rewards you with fuel economy that will make you swoon. I have no idea how I managed to get a solid figure of 20.4km/L in heavy traffic over a couple of days, and even an expressway stint up north got 24.6km/L.

To put that in something you can picture, the car’s estimated range said I “only” had 410km on a full tank, yet somehow, I managed 310km (with idling for shoots) with only half consumed from the tiny 36L tank. Let that sink in.

And this is exactly the point of the Corolla Cross G HEV. All the benefits of a hybrid vehicle in a practical, no-frills crossover that gets the basics right. This is for the people who want their vehicle to last and not worry about unnecessary features.

For many, this can be their forever car, assuming they take care of it.