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What's got massive alloy wheels, a tough body kit, sports suspension and seats
and plenty of GR badging, but not much more power than a lawnmower? This does.
It's the first of Toyota's low-fat GR sports models to arrive in Australia,
but with no update to the hybrid power train, is it worth the extra dollars? Let's find out.
The C-HR or Compact High Rider was always a pretty wild design for Toyota,
but now it stands out even more. The front end has been blinged up with new headlights and this
butch new squared jawed grill and bumper design. And you know what? I really like it.
It adds a bit of sportiness, there's a little bit of sci-fi in there too. It's almost like a
stormtrooper in this white and black, however this chrome panel here, it just looks out of place,
I think it would have been cooler if it was matte black or something like that.
The higher price buys bigger 19-inch alloy wheels, which are shod with high performance Yokohama
Advan tyres for extra grip. Toyota's chassis boffins have also sportied up the suspension.
I really like what's going on with the roof spoiler, but it's not new,
however, these GR badges most certainly are. And if you're wondering what GR stands for, it's Gazoo
Racing. And no, that's not a Mario Kart video game, it's actually Toyota's motorsport division.
Moving inside, Toyota has also tizzied up the cabin with a handful of sporty elements.
I like what's going on here, there's a real sense that this is no ordinary city SUV. The sport
seats have this really nice suede-like trim, and there's plenty of exposed silver stitching which
is a nice touch. The leather steering wheel, is really schmick and I like the buttons too,
they look and feel great, however, there is no fancy GR animated startup screen on the driver's
display, which is what you get on European models, and also there is no GR scuff plates. Ripped off.
The infotainment system is okay. Look, it's got Apple Car Play and Android Auto,
but there's only one USB port and no wireless phone charger.
Incidental storage is so-so. There are two giant cup holders and a large central storage bin, but
the door pockets are small and there's little room for anything else and nowhere to put your phone.
And I've gotta say the piano black plastics look nice, but expose fingerprints like you wouldn't
believe. Back seat room is what you'd expect of a compact SUV, fine for two adults on short trips,
but boot space is average, you're not gonna fit a lawnmower in there. There's a couple of GR logos
scattered around, such as here on the seat backs and also on the starter button, speaking of which,
is that even on? It doesn't sound real sporty.
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You don't really notice the re-calibrated steering or stiffer suspension right off the bat,
but fling her into a few tighter corners and she starts to respond. I've gotta say,
it's actually quite an engaging little drive.
This is because the springs are 10% stiffer at the front and 15% firmer at the rear. Chuck in
more reactive dampers and thicker anti-roll bars and it's clear this is not just a body kit and
sticker job. The bigger wheels and better tyres also make it a grippier machine, giving you more
confidence to push harder. The tyres are probably the most significant performance upgrade on this
SUV, I just wish the brakes were upgraded too, a little more bite would be really handy.
I wasn't expecting much from the chassis, but I've been pleasantly surprised. This is a very
charming car to drive, it's no hot hatch, but it does sit flat through the corners, the steering
is quite direct, and those big 19-inch wheels, with the Yokohama tyres, give you plenty of grip.
So, it looks fast, but does it go fast? Well, not really. I've pinned
the throttle and my adrenaline levels are about the same as when I play Scrabble.
This warmed up C-HR does not get the fully-blown 200 kilowatt turbo triple
from the rally bred all-wheel drive GR Yaris. Hopefully, we'll see that one day.
But for now, the GR Sport comes with the same fuel-sipping, 90 kilowatt hybrid powertrain
as the regular C-HR models, and it drives the front wheels through a boring as bat shit CVT
auto. It kind of feels like a semi-retired, overweight, former athlete. It's got the skills
and the technique to do some really cool stuff, it just kind of lacks the ticker.
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So, is it worth the extra few bucks then? I reckon it is, with just enough handling tweaks
and eye candy to warrant the extra price. But if you're prepared to pay a little more
and want the high output, full-fat GR version that's rumoured to be in the works,
I reckon it might be worth waiting for that one. Thanks so much for watching, we hope you enjoyed
that. You can check out more videos here and here, or on the Car Sales YouTube channel,
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