Toyota’s Insanely Cool Off-Road Corolla Concept Might Make Tacoma Fans Jealous

The Corolla Cross Nasu Edition just shows how far one can go with embracing the model’s versatility.

Rear side view of a Toyota Corolla Cross with matte orange to purple gradient paint and black off-road tires.

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Published October 23, 2025

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Updated October 23, 2025

SEMA season is nearly upon us and Toyota just revealed one of its concepts that could make TRD Pro enthusiasts envious. Say hello to the rad Corolla Cross Nasu Edition.

As one can tell from the pictures alone, it’s basically a Corolla Cross. But it’s been decked out with a wicked lift kit, beefier all-terrain tires, emphasized lower body panel protection and a configurable roof rack.

Matte chameleon-colored Toyota SUV with black roof rack and off-road tires on a white background. — The Nasu Edition Concept is a Corolla Cross for overlanding and outdoor enthusiasts.

While all-terrain capabilities have never particularly been a part of the Corolla’s mission statement, Toyota’s looking to remind the world that they actually are. The Corolla does have some notoriety in the all-terrain world. Mainly, it has quite a bit of participatory history in the FIA World Rally Championship and other similar motorsports leagues.

Summoning the Corolla’s versatile spirit

White Toyota Corolla rally car with Castrol and MoviStar logos airborne on a dirt road. — Off-roading may not be the first activity that comes to mind with the Corolla. But it certainly has a history of excelling at it.

Overlanding in a Corolla may not be one’s first thought when it comes to the best-selling automobile of all time. But the Corolla Cross Nasu Edition summons some of the nameplate’s competitive history and versatile spirit in the WRC.

Black Toyota alloy wheel with Toyo Open Country A/T tire on a vehicle with pink and black fender. — Beefy Toyo all-terrain tires really elevate the Corolla Cross’s machismo.

More specifically, Toyota’s factory-backed Castrol Team competed in the series in the late 1990s with the E110 version of the Corolla. That Corolla replaced one of the automaker’s most iconic WRC rally cars, the Celica GT-Four-based Turbo ST205.

Rear view of a purple and orange Toyota Corolla Cross NASU edition with roof rack and off-road tires. — With its custom lifted suspension and aggressive tires, the Corolla Cross Nasu Edition is ready to tackle the wilderness.

But more so, the E110 Corolla WRC car went on to score four rally victories and the 1999 World Manufacturer’s championship title.

Suffice to say, the Corolla’s prominence off paved surfaces is much greater than most think. And the Corolla Cross Nasu Edition helps pay tribute to all of this.

A Corolla Cross for the adventurous outdoor enthusiast

Toyota Corolla Cross SUV with a matte gradient finish from bronze to purple, black roof rack, and off-road tires.

While the Corolla Cross Nasu Edition doesn’t directly correlate to the Corolla’s WRC heritage, it still honors the Corolla’s versatility. Outside motorsports, you can bet on seeing a Corolla putting about under its own power in some of the furthest corners of the planet — even on the rougher roads.

That versatility was amplified when Toyota launched the Corolla Cross. It’s essentially a five-door soft-roader variant of the standard Corolla sedan and hatchback.

The Nasu Edition is named after Japan’s iconic Mt. Nasu, a destination for outdoor and recreational enthusiasts.

Toyota USA

Specifically, the Nasu Edition takes inspiration from Japan’s Mt. Nasu. It’s one of the country’s most reputable destinations for outdoor recreation and the lifestyle surrounding it.

Built by Toyota’s Service Parts and Accessories Development team (SPAD), the Nasu Edition features a hefty list of upgrades.

Black metal roof rack with "NASU" cutout holding a bike tire and gray storage bags on a black vehicle.

Such includes custom FOX-sourced heavy-duty dampers that add extra ground clearance, a completely custom-fabricated body kit, Toyota truck wheels with Aggressive Toyo Open Country A/T III tires and an eye-catching pearlescent purple paint job. The latter specifically honors “nasu,” which translates to “eggplant” from Japanese to English.

Glossy black "NASU" emblem with mountain design on a purple metallic car panel near a black fender. — “Nasu” translates to “eggplant” from Japanese to English, which inspired the exterior’s pearlescent purple paint.

Under the hood lies Toyota’s iconic and latest Hybrid Synergy drive system. It features a 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated gasoline Atkinson-cycle inline-four with three electric motors, resulting in a total system output of 196 horsepower.

It’s probably not heading to production. But that shouldn’t stop anyone from being inspired by this specific concept and potentially building their own adventure-ready Corolla Cross.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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