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Toyota says it's targeting single and newly married
millennials with the all new C-HR.
The C-HR, which stands for Coupe High-Rider,
is based on Toyota's new mid-sized global platform,
which underpins the latest Prius.
It's in the same class as the Subaru Crosstrek, Honda HR-V,
and Mazda CX-3.
The aggressively angled styling is
geared toward younger buyers.
But besides an edgy look, what is
the C-HR bring to the party to make it stand out
from the subcompact SUV crowd?
For one thing, standard Toyota's Safety Sense P,
on even the base XLE trim.
This suite of advanced safety systems
includes the critically important forward collision
warning, automatic emergency braking,
and pedestrian detection, along with lane departure alert
with steering assist and adaptive cruise control.
XLE Premium models also come with blind spot monitoring
and rear cross traffic alert.
As with its diminutive competitors,
the C-HR isn't exactly a powerhouse.
It has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 144 horsepower
made it to a continuously variable transmission.
For now at least, the C-HR will be front-wheel drive only.
That's an odd omission, given that all-wheel drive is
available on its competitors.
This is because the C-HR was originally planned
as a cost conscious Scion, before that brand was
folded back into its parent company, Toyota.
Toyota promises all-wheel drive during the C-HR's model cycle.
In terms of fuel economy, Toyota says
the C-HR will get 29 miles per gallon
combined on the EPA cycle, which will be at the higher
end for the class.
The engine feels eager enough, but it
won't win many drag races.
Step on the gas pedal reasonably hard,
and the C-HR's engine gets a bit loud and buzzy over 4,000 RPM.
Switching to sport mode makes the gas pedal more responsive
and adds heft to the steering.
Point the C-HR into a corner, and you're
met with competent, but only modestly sporty, handling.
It lacks the steering response of a Mazda CX-3,
and exhibits a fair amount of lean
if you tackle a turn aggressively.
But while many subcompact SUVs feel rather stiff legged,
the C-HR delivers a taut, yet adequately comfortable ride.
And although the engine gets loud at high revs,
wind and tire noise are kept largely out of the cabin.
The interior features plenty of soft touch material,
diamond patterned trim pieces, a leather wrapped steering wheel,
dual zone climate control, and a seven inch infotainment display
screen, on even the base XLE trim.
The climate controls are easy to use,
and a center arm rest bin is ample.
But the door pockets are so slim,
they're nearly useless, other than for holding a water
bottle.
Instead of using the infotainment screen
for the backup camera, there is a tiny display
on a corner of the rear view mirror.
And, while front and side views are fine,
there's big blind spots to the rear thanks to chunky pillars.
It's easy to hop into the firm, but comfortable, front seats,
and they have excellent support to hold you
in place through corners.
There's plenty of headroom, and XLE Premium models
come with power adjustable lumbar for the driver.
Rear seat entry requires more ducking to avoid the sloping
roof line.
But once you're in, there's ample space for two adults,
with good head and knee room, along with decent foot
space under the front seats.
And then there's those high mounted rear door handles.
The intent was to give the C-HR a coupe look,
but they're bound to be awkward for little kids to reach.
On the other hand, the cargo floor
is at a near-perfect loading height,
and the 60/40 split rear seats fold flat
for maximum cargo space.
The C-HR will be available in XLE and XLE Premium trims
when it goes on sale in April of 2017.
Prices will start a little over $22,000 for the XLE
and about $24,000 for the XLE Premium.
Those starting prices are a couple thousand dollars higher
than many competitors, but the C-HR is the only subcompact SUV
to come standard with forward collision
warning and automatic emergency braking.
Toyota says the hybrid version is in the works too.
We'll be buying our own Toyota C-HR soon,
so check back to see how it stacks up
against the competitors in this quickly growing segment.
For more on subcompact SUVs, check out consumerreports.org.