Stylish hybrid sharpens up its act
Toyota’s eye-catching SUV gets a minor facelift and a major performance boost, writes Matt Allan
It doesn’t seem that long since Toyota launched its CHR on the world but a quick glance at the diary reveals it’s been doing its standingout-from-the-crowd thing for three years.
Even by the usual mild standards of mid-life refreshes, the visual changes to the C-HR are tiny. There’s a new grille, diffuser and painted spoiler plus new light signatures and that’s about it.
That’s not a bad thing, however. Not everyone approves but the bold styling has always been the C-HR’s biggest selling point and it still looks fresh and individual.
Inside, some of the materials have been upgraded and there are more soft touch surfaces but the overall look and layout is the same. The biggest change is a new infotainment system with a new look, improved features plus Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard. That’s great news as even the updated Toyota system is no match for them.
The biggest change for the C-HR is that the UK has dropped the 1.2-litre petrol engine and added a more powerful 2.0-litre hybrid.
It is the same system used in the Corolla and brings a welcome added punch. The original 1.8 hybrid is fine for economical plodding but has never been fun to drive. The 2.0-litre offers a more responsive and more powerful (182bhp v 120bhp) proposition as well as tweaked suspension to improve dynamics. The extra power is abundantly clear on the road, giving a much livelier performance that’s more in keeping with the car’s bold styling.
The big question around hybrids is how much time you spend in EV mode and the C-HR has a big display to tell you just that. On a rushhour slog through city centre and motorway traffic it spent three quarters of the time under electric power. On a more challenging mountain and motorways route that dropped to a third, with economy falling from around 54mpg to 44mpg.
While the 2.0’s performance gains are clear, the changes to handling are less obvious. The C-HR remains moderately entertaining to chuck around and rides pretty well but it won’t worry a decent hatchback for B-road dynamism.
Toyota say the C-HR is a Csegment SUV, which puts it in the same class as a Nissan Qashqai or Seat Ateca, but it’s not aiming for the same market. For a start, it’s closer to the Juke in size and practicality. The stylish coupe-like roofline makes getting in and out of the back tricky and there’s limited rear headroom and a claustrophobic feel with the doors shut.
The second element is the price. The C-HR starts at £25,625 and rises to £32,595 while larger alternatives like the Qashqai and Kia Sportage start at £20k. The C-HR’s trick is to offer a more premium and more stylish approach as well as that fancy drivetrain and high standard levels of specification.
If you’re happy paying more to stand out there’s plenty to like about the CHR. It carries on the good work of the original, sharpening it here and there, and the 2.0-litre drivetrain gives it performance to match its dynamic looks.