13 October 2023
The new C-HR comes in five trim levels: Icon, Design, Excel, GR Sport, and Premiere Edition
Hugely popular, sharply-styled crossover gets a new plug-in hybrid option and five trim levels
Toyota has revealed pricing, equipment and engine specifications for its radically styled, second-generation C-HR crossover.
Launching with the aim of drawing new customers to the brand, the new CH-R follows on from its hugely popular predecessor, and as such gains a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the first time.
The range kicks off with the £31,290 Icon, which gets 17in alloys, cloth upholstery, a seven-inch infotainment screen, Apple CarPlay, and the usual raft of safety systems. Stepping up to Design costs an additional £3,395, for which you get 18in alloys, a 12.3in touchscreen for the infotainment system, and a panoramic sunroof. Excel trim comes with 19in alloys, a JBL sound system and front sports seats, all for £38,150.
Icon, Design and Excel trim levels only come with the 1.8-litre hybrid powertrain, which pairs a 97bhp petrol engine with a 94bhp electric motor to give 138bhp. It shares this and the higher-power 2.0-litre powertrain with the new Toyota Prius.
This is driven through the front wheels and promises to deliver 56.5-58.9mpg on the WLTP cycle. This entry-level powertrain is essential for preserving the model’s “accessibility”, product manager Andrea Carlucci said in December.
The two highest trim levels – GR Sport and Premiere Edition – can be had from £40,645 and £42,720 respectively, making it slightly more expensive that the equivalent Nissan Qashqai, but cheaper than the equivalent Toyota RAV4 PHEV.
The production car has adopted the radical looks of the C-HR Prologue concept, which was shown late last year. It is the first SUV in Toyota’s European line-up to feature the new ‘hammerhead’ front-end design that made its debut on the latest Toyota Prius, which is not sold in the UK.
Higher-grade trim levels are said to further complement its design with 19in and 20in alloys, and two-tone paintwork.
GR Sport and Premiere Edition come with the option of two 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid petrol engines. The first bumps power to 198bhp, the second gains four-wheel-drive, with a second electric motor on the rear axle, and cuts the C-HR’s 0-62mph time to 7.9sec and achieves upwards of 53mpg.
The new four-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid option features the same 2.0-litre petrol engine but gains a beefier, 163bhp motor for a combined 223bhp.
It can complete 41 miles on electric power alone and features new geofencing technology, which automatically switches the car to EV mode when it detects you have entered a low-emission zone, if there is enough power in the battery. Order books for this powertrain are open from next spring.
The C-HR was Toyota’s fourth best-seller in Europe last year, with just under 100,000 delivered, and its popularity was cited as a reason for the new Prius not coming to the UK. The C-HR sold nearly 18,000 units in the UK in 2021, compared with just 563 Priuses.