It took Toyota fairly a while to get its first electrical automobile (EV), the confusingly named bZ4X, to market right here, which maybe makes it stunning that the follow-up from the Japanese large is so scorching on the primary automotive’s heels.
However the brand new Toyota C-HR+ small SUV appears like a extremely promising package deal. Bodily, it’s not a lot smaller inside or out than the bZ4X mid-size SUV, but as a result of it ostensibly competes within the class under – the C-segment – it must be cheaper to purchase. That’s regardless of the actual fact the C-HR+ has an even bigger battery pack and longer vary than its sibling.
To search out out if Toyota has improved its EV choices significantly with the C-HR+, we went over to Paris to drive a few prototype variations of the automotive within the countryside surrounding the French capital – and, as Toyota Australia has not but confirmed the C-HR+’s arrival right here, to determine whether or not we must be pushing for its inclusion in our tariffs sooner relatively than later.
How a lot does the Toyota C-HR+ value?
We don’t have a transparent image concerning this level but, as the precise timing for the C-HR+ Australian arrival is unknown.
Toyota has intimated it is going to be undoubtedly make it to our shores, although, so the perfect steer we may give is that it’s going to probably slot in between the present C-HR hybrid vary ($42,990 to $54,990 earlier than on-roads) and the pricing of the bZ4X ($66,000 to $74,900) – so one thing like $50,000 to $65,000 wouldn’t be out of the query.
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What’s the Toyota C-HR+ like on the within?
Excessive-quality supplies and a pervading sense of solidity are the hallmarks of the Toyota C-HR+’s cabin, though with a black-on-black-on-black atmosphere (or, at the least, varied hues of fairly darkish charcoal gray) it will probably appear a little bit dour inside.
Like different fashions within the firm’s portfolio, the C-HR+ has a tiered dashboard. This results in a low scuttle, and the sensation that each the 14-inch predominant infotainment touchscreen and the 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster look a little bit bit ‘plonked’ into place as an afterthought.
Additionally, until you decrease the entrance seats proper down, you get the impression you’re perched atop the C-HR+, relatively than properly hunkered down in it.
That mentioned, every little thing works nicely and there’s an excellent diploma of conventionality to a lot of the Toyota’s switchgear, which renders the C-HR+’s cabin an unintimidating place to be. The excessive central tunnel with varied storage and stowage options is a useful contact, too.
Visibility out of the automotive is excellent, definitely within the entrance of the automobile, whereas the vista seen by way of the rear-view mirror is possibly a contact pinched, however not savagely compromised.
Maybe our predominant situation with the C-HR+ is the gloominess of the rear-passenger lodging.
Like the unique C-HR of 2017, the whims of the outside designer’s penmanship leads to a swoopy decrease window line on the again doorways of the EV, as they run into the C-pillar. This limits mild filtering into the again of the cabin, which – coupled with the thematically black inside – means we’d desire being a passenger within the entrance seat of the C-HR+ relatively than having to take a seat in its second row for any nice size of time.
Nonetheless, because of the truth its wheelbase is 110mm longer than the C-HR’s platform, and simply 100mm shorter than that discovered on the bZ4X, room at the back of the brand new C-HR+ is sweet. Final headroom is proscribed for taller individuals, however legroom is above common and it’s not a hardship to take a seat again there if you happen to’re of common peak… and supplied you’re not afraid of the darkish.
Equally, the boot capability of the C-HR+ is at the least 416 litres in all fashions – not far off the bZ4X’s 452L. Which begins to beg the query: has Toyota pitched the C-HR+ a bit too shut, by way of measurement, to its larger stablemate?
| Dimensions | Toyota C-HR+ |
|---|---|
| Size | 4520mm |
| Width | 1870mm |
| Peak | 1595mm |
| Wheelbase | 2750mm |
| Cargo capability | 416L (behind rear seats) |
What’s beneath the bonnet?
Toyota has three configurations of powertrain for the C-HR+ household.
| Specs | C-HR+ FWD | C-HR FWD 77kWh | C-HR+ AWD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drivetrain | Single-motor electrical | Single-motor electrical | Twin-motor electrical |
| Battery | 57.7kWh lithium-ion | 77kWh lithium-ion | 77kWh lithium-ion |
| Energy | 123kW | 165kW | 252kW |
| Torque | 269Nm | 269Nm | 269kW (entrance) + 170Nm (rear) |
| Drive sort | Entrance-wheel drive | Entrance-wheel drive | All-wheel drive |
| Weight | 1810-1845kg | 1885-1985kg | 2010-2080kg |
| 0-100km/h (claimed) | 8.4 seconds | 7.3 seconds | 5.2 seconds |
| Claimed vary | 456km | 609km | 546km |
| Max AC cost price | 11kW | 11kW | 11kW (normal) 22kW (elective) |
| Max DC cost price | 150kW | 150kW | 150kW |
Two of them are single-motor, front-wheel drive affairs, the primary with a modest output of 123kW of energy and a 54kWh (usable) battery pack. The claimed 0-100km/h time is 8.4 seconds, and it comes with a theoretical most vary of 456km on the 18-inch alloy wheels.
Subsequent up is the vary champion of the household. It’s the second FWD mannequin however the battery is enlarged to 77kWh total, with roughly 72kWh usable. The electrical motor is boosted to 165kW, serving to deal with the actual fact it may be carrying something between 75 and 140kg (relying on trim) greater than its relation with the smaller battery, and the 0-100km/h time improves to 7.3 seconds.
Nonetheless, the eye-catching quantity relating this mannequin is the 609km vary on 18-inch wheels. That’s the primary Toyota EV to transcend the 600km barrier, though be careful for specifying the elective 20s on the long-range C-HR+, as they drop its functionality to 563km.
Lastly, there’s a dual-motor, all-wheel drive C-HR+ variant topping the tree, utilizing the identical 77kWh battery pack as talked about above. This has a strong 252kW peak output and a further 170Nm of torque over the FWD fashions, thanks fully to its additional rear motor, so it will probably run from 0-100km/h in a claimed 5.2 seconds.
The pay-off, in fact, is diminished vary – the AWD C-HR+ maxes out at an official 546km with a single cost of its battery (if on 18-inch wheels), a determine denuded to 505km on the 20s that are extra commonplace to its spec.
Toyota says that with the inclusion of battery pre-conditioning and a standard-fit warmth pump, the C-HR+ has overcome a number of the vary, charging velocity and electrical effectivity points that plagued the bZ4X instantly after it first launched in Japan and Europe.
The C-HR+’s most charging price is 150kW on DC energy, and at such speeds a 10-80 per cent battery top-up will now take round half-hour even in unfavourable weather conditions, says Toyota. On AC connections, the usual peak charging price is 11kW, though the AWD might be optioned as much as 22kW if wanted.
Effectivity is unquestionably higher with this newcomer than the bZ4X, although. We couldn’t get close to the official 12kWh/100km power consumption determine when on the wheel of the front-wheel-drive 77kWh mannequin, however an on-test return of 15.1kWh/100km was mighty spectacular for a near-two-tonne EV nonetheless.
How does the Toyota C-HR+ drive?
Averagely, if you happen to’re coming at it from the angle of the ‘e-TNGA’ chassis underpinnings and in addition the actual fact the a number of of the important thing Toyota individuals at its launch instructed us it had been tuned to interact the enthusiastic driver in an EV age; nonetheless, for an electrical SUV, the way in which it conducts itself total is about bang heading in the right direction.
We drove each the AWD and the long-range FWD, and we most well-liked the latter. The twin-motor C-HR+ is undeniably fast, needlessly so, by way of its straight-line punch, and there appears to be extra weight and heft to its steering. However it’s not likely entertaining to hustle, as its two-tonne-plus mass rapidly involves the fore on difficult roads.
The marginally lighter FWD mannequin, although, has much less involving steering, but it felt no much less succesful by way of the bends – affected by no considerable further physique roll, nor being notably traction-limited. It simply felt that contact extra agile and light-on-its-feet.
Neither C-HR+, nevertheless, gave us a memorable dealing with expertise. However that’s not the purpose of the automotive. As an alternative, it aces its predominant temporary as a result of it’s supremely quiet and comfy, always and street speeds.
A slippery physique form, full with a co-efficient of drag measuring simply 0.26, helps the Toyota reduce by way of the air effortlessly, whereas suppression of street noise is basically glorious.
It’s not good on this rating, although, as tyre roar can typically cavitate across the again of the passenger compartment on poorer tarmac surfaces.
Talking to one of many chief engineers of the automotive on the occasion, the place each automobile was nonetheless categorised as a prototype and thus not fairly the completed article, it was hinted that noise suppression was nonetheless one thing that may very well be tweaked to make the manufacturing variations even quieter.
So, the C-HR+ could be a forgettable factor to drive in some ways, however because it’s fully fuss-free and dignified for the overwhelming majority of the time it’s rolling alongside the street, it ought to fulfill EV clients no finish.
What do you get?
Australian specs for the Toyota C-HR+ should not but confirmed, though in different markets the automotive is offered because the Mid (FWD, smallest battery), Mid+ (FWD however with the massive energy pack) and Excessive (AWD dual-motor with the bigger battery) specs, with extra gear loaded in as you stroll up these powertrain ranges.
The listing under is not at all exhaustive, however we’d count on the fundamental automotive to return with all of the objects talked about, plus extra apart from.
Choices and/or normal package on the higher-grade vehicles embrace 20-inch wheels, twin wi-fi smartphone charging pads within the entrance, and a nine-speaker, 800-Watt JBL Premium Audio setup with a 9.0-inch subwoofer included.
2026 Toyota C-HR+ gear highlights:
- 14-inch infotainment display screen
- 7-inch driver’s digital cluster
- 64-colour ambient inside lighting
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity
- Voice management
- Six-speaker audio system
- Twin-zone local weather management
- Heated entrance seats and steering wheel
- Warmth pump
- Eco-friendly inside supplies
- Protected exit help
- Blind spot monitor
- Adaptive high-beam system
- Parking help brake
- Autonomous emergency braking
Is the Toyota C-HR+ protected?
The Toyota C-HR+, replete with loads of superior driver help programs and sitting on the structurally powerful e-TNGA platform, must be able to choosing up a full five-star ANCAP or Euro NCAP score, though it has been examined by neither physique on the time of writing.
Each the C-HR and the bZ4X have five-star scores, though the smaller City Cruiser EV – additionally not confirmed for Australia but – solely has a four-star score from Euro NCAP.
How a lot does the Toyota C-HR+ value to run?
Judging by the aftersales help the corporate affords for the bZ4X, the C-HR+ must be lined by the usual five-year, unlimited-distance guarantee, which might be prolonged to seven years for the powertrain, so long as the automobile is serviced yearly throughout the Toyota community.
Moreover, Toyota affords the industry-standard eight-year efficiency assure on the battery pack itself, asserting that it’s going to nonetheless have at the least 70 per cent of its preliminary capability after that interval. There’s a guaranty on the battery for 5 years, which might be prolonged to 10 years supplied the automotive has its annual battery verify.
Toyota’s service interval for EVs is generally each 12 months or 15,000km, so we’d count on the C-HR+ to fall into these parameters when it’s finally confirmed on the market right here.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Toyota C-HR+
If we’ve obtained any issues in regards to the new Toyota C-HR+, they revolve round the truth that, bodily talking, it’s about on a par with the bigger bZ4X.
But that displays badly on the older Toyota EV, and never this newcomer – in spite of everything, if you happen to walked right into a Toyota dealership and had been provided two ostensibly comparable electrical SUVs, however one in all them was cheaper and but may go additional on a single cost, which one would you go for?
That’s why we’re anticipating the C-HR+ to be an enormous hit right here. It doesn’t do something dramatic, as a result of that’s not the purpose of a small electrical SUV within the first place.
As an alternative, it guarantees to fit seamlessly and quietly into your life, after which simply operate admirably as an A-to-B type of transport from thereon in.
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