Second-Gen Toyota C-HR Debuts With Sharper Looks, Hybrid Powertrains

Toyota has unveiled the second-gen C-HR in Europe ahead of sales commencing later this year. Designed and developed in Europe, the new C-HR gets a sharper look in line with recent new Toyotas, more tech on board, and a new plug-in hybrid powertrain.

The production C-HR carries over the design of the C-HR Prologue concept from late 2022. Place the two side by side and you notice that almost the entire design has been left unchanged. The production models however get the addition of a pair of rear doors, more conventional wing mirrors, and toned-down wheels. The fascia and profile are nearly identical to the concept replete with the aggressive bumper, angular boomerang headlamps, sharp lines, and coupe-like profile. Round the back, the full-width tail lamp sits at the base of the angled rear glasshouse while the rear bumper is slightly toned down from the concept.

Toyota has also retained the dual-tone scheme in the production model. Unlike most cars where just the roof is finished in a contrast finish, the C-HR’s dual tone finish sees the contrast colour finish extend to the entire rear section of the car as well as the door sill.

Inside, new Toyota C-HR gets a more driver-focused cabin. The dashboard layout includes a 12.3-inch driver's display and a free-standing infotainment screen ranging from 8 to 12.3 inches, depending on the trim level. On the feature front, you get programmable 64-color LED ambient lighting that can be set to change color throughout the day. The lighting is also intended as a safety system, with the cabin lighting illuminating red if somebody opens a door when it’s unsafe to do so. Owners will also be able to use their smartphone as the car’s digital key, while remote driving in and out of parking spaces will also be available.

There is also a suit of ADAS functions on board including lane-keeping and blind-spot assistance, steering assist and a new acceleration suppression system designed to keep the vehicle to diving forward when a sudden throttle input is detected.

Additional safety features include lane-change assist, hands-free driving in stop-start traffic, front cross-traffic alert, an internal camera for monitoring the driver and adaptive headlamps.

The new Toyota C-HR offers four hybrid powertrain options. These include a pair of 1.8-litre and 2.0-litre self-charging hybrid - the latter with the option of all-wheel drive with an e-motor on the rear axle, along with a new 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid. The new PHEV will come with adjustable regenerative braking as well as a geofencing function that automatically switches the car to EV mode in some pre-specified locations. The carmaker said that the PHEV would offer a competitive EV-only range. Detailed specifications were not shared about the powertrains.