Research on spatially extended excitable systems with cross-diffusion components is reviewed. Particular attention is given to the new phenomena of the quasi-soliton and half-soliton interaction of excitation waves, which are specific to such systems and occur along with the standard nonsoliton wave interaction that causes the waves to mutually annihilate. A correlation is shown to exist between interaction regimes and wave profile shapes. One example of a cross-diffusion system is population systems with taxes. Based on the mathematical models of and experimental work with bacterial populations, waves in excitable cross-diffusion systems can be identified as a new class of nonlinear waves.