LONDON

January CARS
January CARS
In association with car
buyer’s guide WHATCAR.LV
Publicity photos
FIRST DRIVE:
THE TOYOTA C-HR
It’s
a bit unfair, really.
The Nissan Qashqai
gets all of the
plaudits for kicking
off the small SUV craze, when Toyota
arguably did so more than a decade
earlier with its original RAV4. Of course,
the modern-day RAV4 is a much larger
and dumpier beast than before, which
is where the Toyota C-HR comes in. It
is part coupé, part hatchback and part
crossover. It’s a fusion of conventional
vehicle body styles, indicating just how
many crossover hatchbacks have been
launched into what we often refer to as
the “Qashqai class”. You now have to
design a body that is as wacky-looking
as that of the new C-HR just to get
people’s attention.
The C-HR, or “coupé high-rider”, has
just arrived in showrooms and aims for
a design-savvy crowd. By the standards
of the cars that it’s up against, the C-HR
compromises a bit of cabin and boot
space for the freedom to accommodate
its swooping roofline, sloping rear end
and deeply sculpted body surfaces.
If you don’t like the way that the
C-HR looks, and the idea of a slightly
less practical crossover hatchback
seems pointless to you, then you’re
not part of Toyota’s target market. The
company’s own definition of C-HR buyers
is “young customers driven by emotional
considerations, as well as by style and
quality, who want their car to serve as an
extension of their personality”.
Toyota offers the C-HR with either
a 122-hp 1.8-litre petrol-electric hybrid
engine or a 115-hp 1.2-litre turbo petrol
engine. The car comes with either sixspeed
manual or continuously variable
transmissions and with either frontwheel
drive or four-wheel drive. A month
before they arrived in our showrooms, we
tested both engine versions in the streets
and outskirts of Madrid.
infotainment system at the head of the centre stack.
The use of high-gloss black plastic on the dashboard and
centre console is quite liberal and won’t be to everyone’s
taste, and the seats are a little too short and flat in the
cushion to grant perfect at-the-wheel comfort. But
otherwise, thoughtful design and high-quality fit and
finish are in plentiful evidence. We particularly liked
the teardrop-shaped cupholders, which can better
accommodate a travel mug with a handle.
There is other good news as well. Potential owners
who might be worried about the loss of rear cabin
space in comparison to their current, more practical but
more visually prosaic crossover needn’t really worry –
unless they plan on transporting large adults in the
back. Access to the C-HR’s back seats is easy enough
(funny door handles notwithstanding) and there’s
enough space for anyone less than 1.80 metres tall.
Knee and foot space are as good as in most compact
crossovers. Head room is the limiting factor, with a
somewhat claustrophobic feel exacerbated by the car’s
pinched windowline.
The C-HR adopts Toyota’s TNGA model platform,
as seen previously under the current Prius hatchback.
The C-HR also uses the same hybrid powertrain as the
Prius. This means that the C-HR gets double wishbone
independent rear suspension for optimal wheel camber
control and uncompromised ride tuning – which does
indeed pay off in the driving experience.
The drive
Handling is a strong suit. The car steers with a meaty
feel and plenty of directional keenness, countering
body roll well enough to maintain good resistance to
understeer. For a fairly high-sided car, the C-HR certainly
feels wieldy.
As for the ride, this depends on which engine you
go for. The lighter 1.2-litre petrol is remarkably agile by
small SUV standards, staying upright and hanging on
gamely through tight twists and turns. Even its steering
is accurate, delivering enough feedback to give you
confidence through faster bends, while staying light
during low-speed manoeuvres.
Meanwhile, the hybrid version is slightly hampered
by its extra mass, so it never feels quite as light on its
All sorts of Prius
characteristics come in
a package that looks and
feels quite funky
toes. You only notice this on faster, twisting roads,
though, and it still handles well by small SUV standards.
Mechanical refinement is creditable, but eroded by
the excessive amount of time that the petrol engine
spends revving into the stratosphere. And those who’d
like to tap into the car’s electrical reserves around
town will find it tricky to do without rousing the
combustion engine.
Verdict
We prefer the sweetness of the 1.2-litre petrol, but
there’s no denying that the hybrid’s drivetrain is just
as effective as in a Prius. The surprise is that all sorts
of Prius characteristics come in a package that looks
and feels quite funky, so you look less like a taxi driver
and more like somebody with an active lifestyle. That is
quite appealing. BO
Design and technology
On the one hand, it’s pleasing to slide
into the C-HR and find that the car’s
agenda isn’t only about high design. The
fascia looks and feels solidly built. It’s
cleverly laid out, too, and dominated by
Toyota’s seven-inch colour touchscreen
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