Caroline travelled to Ibiza to drive the new C-HR The post Toyota C-HR Review (2024) appeared first on Changing Lanes.
Read Caroline’s 2024 Toyota C-HR review for everything you need to know about buying Toyota’s trendy hybrid compact crossover in Ireland.
The Toyota C-HR has been a big success for Toyota Ireland since it first launched here at the end of 2016. The stylish coupé-crossover has been a consistent bestseller, with over 15,000 sold in Ireland to date.
The new C-HR aims to build on the success of the first with a bold new design and even more efficient hybrid technology.
It goes on sale from about €40,000 and is available to test drive in dealers now with first customer deliveries expected from January 2024.
The 2024 Toyota C-HR is on sale now from Toyota’s Irish dealer network
Styling
The C-HR was always the style icon of the Toyota range. This new one brings it to the next level with a striking new front end, more pronounced character lines and some very dramatic bi-tone colour options that extend into the rear of the car for the very first time.
The C-HR sits alongside the newly launched Corolla Cross in Toyota’s mid-size crossover offering. However, the C-HR is designed to stand out and yes it does! At the front, the new slim LED headlights give C-HR the new family face of Toyota, like the latest Prius and BZ4X. There are some sharper character lines along the side of the car. At the back there are new horizontal lights that give a dramatic light bar effect with a special ‘Toyota C-HR’ illumination in the middle that lights up when you lock and unlock the vehicle.
There are a range of colours available, with Sport+ and Sol models coming with a very trendy black contrast roof. Go for the top of the range Premiere Edition or GR Sport Premiere Edition and the contrast black is extended into the rear of the car. Alloy wheel sizes vary from 18- to 20-inch. New flush door handles and a split roof spoiler add to the C-HR’s aerodynamic efficiency.
Interior
The cabin has matured very nicely for this new generation of C-HR. It feels like a bigger, more substantial car from behind the wheel. There’s a pleasant mix of digital features, good quality plastics, plush materials and a classic solid Toyota feel. Fabric sports seats come as standard but going up the trim levels adds more suede finish and vegan leather trim. There’s a fabulous new digital instrument panel and new steering wheel. An 8-inch touchscreen is standard on the entry level Sport model with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. But all other versions get a very impressive 12-inch screen. Ventilation is adjusted from a row of buttons beneath the screen.
The cabin of the 2024 Toyota C-HR
Other standard features include parking sensors, reversing camera, heated front seats, keyless entry and dual zone climate control. Sport+ adds wireless smartphone charging and a panoramic glass roof. The Toyota Safety Sense 3 suite of safety equipment comes as standard with features like blind spot monitoring, lane departure alert with steering control and safe exit assist.
Practicality
The C-HR hasn’t changed much in size but it still offers adequate accommodation for a trendy crossover. The boot is a small bit bigger than before at 388 litres in the 1.8-litre hybrid and 364 litres in the 2.0-litre hybrid. That’s about on par with the average hatchback. But it is well designed with a wide opening and the availability of a powered tailgate. The rear seats can also split fold 60:40.
Legroom and headroom is good enough in the back for a car of this size. Toyota has also removed the kink from the window line so it feels brighter and more family-friendly than before. It’s snug and comfortable. There’s no centre armrest but there is a cupholder in each door and one USB-C port for back seat passengers.
Engines
After Corolla and Corolla Cross earlier this year, Toyota’s new fifth generation hybrid now makes its debut in the C-HR range. There are 1.8 and 2.0-litre petrol electric hybrids available. It has more compact parts to save weight and improve efficiency. The 1.8-litre is expected to be the biggest seller. Power is up from 122hp to 140hp, with 0-100 km/h completed in a reasonable 9.9 seconds. Toyota quotes fuel consumption of about 4.8 litres per 100 kilometres for this model. There’s also a more powerful 2.0-litre hybrid with 198hp and fuel consumption rated at 4.9 litres per 100 kilometres.
A 2.0-litre C-HR plug-in hybrid is expected to arrive in the summer of 2024.
The C-HR is available with a choice of hybrid engines
Driving
The new C-HR is built on an upgraded GA-C platform from Toyota with improvements to the suspension, steering and brakes. The controls all work well together and the car has a solid, cohesive feel on the road. It’s easy to control, with a wider track and lots of front end grip giving it a secure and planted feel through bends. On the Spanish roads of my test route, the C-HR was a mature and comfortable drive. There’s not too much road or wind noise either.
There are a few different driving modes like Normal, Sport, Eco and Custom, which alter the driving experience somewhat. There’s also a B mode to increase regenerative braking.
Like other Toyota hybrids, the C-HR uses an e-CVT automatic gearbox. It still can get quite noisy under hard acceleration but can be avoided with a gentler use of the accelerator. It’s a hybrid that is more geared towards efficiency and that’s where the C-HR really excels, with consumption as low as 4.4 litres per 100 kilometres during my test drive.
Pricing
The 2024 Toyota C-HR range starts from €40,250 for the 1.8 Sport model. Sport+ starts from €42,920 and Sol from €45,010. The Premiere Edition is priced from €49,940 and the GR Sport Premiere Edition from €52,500. Both come with the more powerful 2.0-litre hybrid.
Rear seating in the C-HR
Verdict
The Toyota C-HR was always the style icon of the Toyota range. The new version takes that to the next level with even bolder styling and paint options.
It is a super stylish crossover that really does stand out against rival crossovers and SUVs. For outright space, some rivals offer a little more but the C-HR still feels roomy enough inside to be practical.
A mature feel pervades this car now, from the finish of the interior to the way it covers the road. The handling is very good though the hybrid drive is best suited to more efficient than sporty driving.
It has gone up in price but then again the new C-HR is more than the car it started out as. It is exceptionally well-equipped and loaded with lots of standard safety features and digital tech.
Overall, Toyota has once again created a stand-out car in the C-HR that will please the style-conscious and be incredibly efficient to run too.
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Written by Caroline Kidd
Founder and Editor of Changing Lanes, Juror for Irish Car of the Year
The Toyota C-HR is a super stylish crossover that’s incredibly efficient too
WATCH A VIDEO OF THE NEW C-HR!
The post Toyota C-HR Review (2024) appeared first on Changing Lanes.