The Star: December 16, 2021

Thursday December 16 2021 The Star 33
Have some fun in Toyota’s C-HR hybrid
I THINK I missed my true
vocation.
Instead of spending an entire
working life in the printing
industry, work as a suspension
engineer was probably my calling.
You see when I took technical
drawing classes at school, instead
of drawing isometric and oblique
designs out of the curriculum, I
used to secretly draw simple car
axle systems, front and rear.
I’ve always been fascinated by
how suspension geometry works
in any car – the spring rates, shock
absorber types, steering angles
– caster and camber – all that
type of stuff, and today when I’m
evaluating any car that’s the first
thing I relate to, how the car feels
underneath, how well it steers and
how balanced it is in a corner.
That being the case, I couldn’t
help but be delighted with Toyota’s
GR C-HR Sport. The C-HR
needs little introduction, it is the
cheeky, edgy small sport utility
vehicle that has drawn much favour
in today’s market. Where the
GR variant is different is that it
gets considerable suspension fettering,
all under the umbrella of
Gazoo Racing, the Toyota Motor
Company’s performance arm.
I’ve driven two or three models
carrying GR badging, and I
can report they have been very
memorable performance cars
and the GR C-HR carried a lot of
expectation.
I’m pleased to report I’m not
disappointed, the GR C-HR is
the hybrid I’d be tempted buy, it
simply has feel and precision that
I relate to, and yes, the GR C-HR
has Toyota’s Synergy Drive system,
it’s by far the most fun you
can ever have in a hybrid, well
that and the Lexus IS250h, a car I
also have a strong affinity for.
The GR C-HR is only available
in hybrid form, and therein lies
its appeal. If you want something
just a little bit different in your
hybrid purchase then it is there
to tempt, not only does it get the
excellent work underneath, it
looks sporty, there are big wheels
(19in), a flashy body kit, special
badging and an interior upgrade.
There is white-stitched leather
trim elements, alcantara and
leather-trimmed seats and large
centre console display. Altogether
you are getting a rather special
package and it’s only going to cost
you $43,290, just $1500 above
the Limited hybrid. For interest’s
sake, the C-HR range starts at
$35,790 and also includes 1.2-litre
petrol-only variants.
To me, the GR is a bargain and,
what’s more, you are satisfying
your conscience by buying into
the hybrid market, doing just that
little bit extra for the environment.
The GR C-HR hybrid utilises
the well-proven 1.8-litre driveline
that is used in Corolla and Prius.
It’s a unit that not only gives you
INFORMATION: Large digital console dominates the interior.
TOYOTA GR C-HR HYBRID: Special suspension treatment from Gazoo Racing.
• Price – Toyota GR C-HR
Sport hybrid, $43,290
• Dimensions – Length,
4390mm; width, 1795mm;
height, 1550mm
• Configuration – Fourcylinder,
front-wheeldrive,
1798cc, 72kW
(+18kW), 142Nm,
continuously variable
automatic
• Performance –
0-100km/h, 9.8sec
• Fuel usage – 4.3l/100km
satisfying fuel usage returns,
but there is adequate power
and torque to cope with a fiveoccupant
journey. Toyota claims
72kW and 142Nm, add in an
extra 18kW from the battery and
electric motor system and you
have solid response from under
the bonnet.
Today’s hybrid systems, especially
Toyota’s, are seamless in
their operation; other than the
display graphics that explain what
is happening in terms of propulsion,
it’s not always easy to determine
what is driving the vehicle
at any given point. Sure, if you
want sudden, instant momentum
the petrol engine bursts into life
and it is audible, but under gentle
operating conditions the entire
system is almost silent.
Toyota claims a 4.3-litre per
100km combined cycle fuel usage
average for the GR C-HR, that
would be easily achievable, the
on-board readout was listing at
around 6l/100km when I took the
evaluation car back to the dealership
after a week of inner-city and
highway running.
Other relevant figures include
a 9.8sec standstill to 100km/h
run, while a highway overtake
will take 7sec to reach 120 from
80km/h.
The acceleration figures may
pale in comparison to other
Gazoo Racing products, but that
means little, what makes the
C-HR in this form so special is
its all round ability, it simply dispenses
with distance comfortably,
and if you are a push-on type of
driver you know that it is going
to behave wonderfully when the
high country or Port Hills corners
present themselves.
As I’ve alluded to, the GR
C-HR is perfect in a corner, even
considering the weight distribution
is all wrong, comparatively
there’s a lot of weight up front and
with a tube beam rear axle you
could be forgiven for thinking
handling would be ordinary.
However, that’s far from fact,
steerage is delightful, it is accurate
and precise, turn-in just
feels so natural and body balance
is amazingly stable. Even if road
ripples are struck mid-corner
the GR C-HR sits controlled and
unaffected, the rear suspension
by way of its simplicity could be
excused for being a bit jittery but
that is not the case either, the
quality within the dampers and
the pairing of them to firmish but
compliant spring rates ensures
control and stability.
Contributing to that feel and
precision, I must mention the
tyres, they are a performance
Yokohama compound and with
their low profile (225/45) they
have high grip properties.
That is another area where suspension
quality comes in, there
are no uncomfortable moments
when bumps are struck. There’s
a road west of Darfield I drive
on frequently when I’m returning
to the city, tree roots growing
under the surface have made it
a real teeth-rattler but the C-HR
absorbed the hits without jarring.
I’ve mentioned some of the
GR C-HR’s special features, they
sit on top of what is a reasonably
well-specced car in the first
instance. Major items include
satellite navigation, keyless entry
and ignition, dual zone climate
control and radar cruise control,
the latter part of a full Toyota
Safety Sense package that earns
the car a five-star Australasian
New Car Assessment Program
rating.
If you are drawn to the C-HR
through its bold, in-your-face
styling, then there are nine
models to choose from. For me
there would be no contest, the
GR variant is a blast, and who
would have thought I’d have been
saying that about a hybrid, that
concept took a long time for me
to warm to.
Looking to buy a new
vehicle for Christmas
or in the new year?
Check out the
Drive South
Best Motor Buys
Christmas Issue!
Published 17 th December
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