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Feann Torr24 Nov 2016
REVIEW

Toyota C-HR 2017 Review

Toyota's first compact SUV is a break from the norm, and the result is refreshingly awesome

Toyota C-HR Koba
International Launch
Madrid, Spain

I've just driven the new Toyota C-HR and I want to know where the old Toyota has gone!? Boasting an edgy design, a premium interior and avid new attitude, it's a signal that Toyota isn’t afraid to ditch the cardigan. Powered by a zippy but efficient 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine, brimming with premium technology and boasting a design that'll leaved Camry buyers aghast, the C-HR is coming to Australia in February 2017 ready to rock out.

Toyota has an enviable reputation for building reliable, safe, affordable cars. Oh, and did I mention boring cars too? Deserved or not, the Japanese brand's vehicles are often seen as appliances, whitegoods that are cheap to run, a safe investment if you will.

That's how Toyota has become the top-selling car marque on the planet, by playing it safe.

Which is why I was left scratching my head when I walked into a large carpark on the outskirts of Madrid and got an eyeful of the Toyota C-HR for the first time.

toyota c hr 906

It's almost as if the bean-counters who have been running Toyota for decades have been overthrown by music-festival-mad executives with penchants for wearable tech.

If Toyota was once folk music, it is now bass-induced dubstep, and I like it. I like it a lot.

A quick walk around the C-HR – short for "coupe high-rider" – reveals an angular design that's modern and sporty. To my eye it looks great stationary and when moving. Well, the front and sides do. The rear-end looks like the munted lovechild of Voltron and the Honda Civic.

Two models will be offered in Australia starting at around $27,000, the C-HR and C-HR Koba, the latter unique to Australia and named after the car's rev-head chief engineer Hiroyuki Koba. He owns a fourth-gen Toyota Supra, a supercharged Toyota MR2, race cars, the works. But more on his influence later.

Both variants coming to Australia get heaps of kit, including adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane departure alert with steering control, automatically dimming high-beam headlights and reversing camera.

Yep, there's a new platform underneath this car and it's got more inbuilt tech than Robocop. The original, not the reboot.

toyota c hr 910

The top-spec C-HR Koba adds bigger 18-inch alloy wheels with Michelin tyres (225/50), leather accented seats, plus a smart entry and engine start system. And if you want extra personalisation, why not opt for the "duo-tone" paint work with a black-coloured roof?

You won't get that on a Camry! More details on the 2017 Toyota C-HR coming to Australia have since emerged too.

With its brash new exterior attitude, the C-HR's youthful ethos morphs into ear-splitting psy-trance as you step inside – figuratively speaking, because ironically the JBL stereo is so-so. Indeed, the cabin feels more Lexus than Toyota.

toyota c hr 901

The leather accented seats catch the eye first, beautifully sculpted, they feature elegant stitching patterns with diamond-quilting. That they feel as good as they look, with solid levels of comfort thanks to mild bolstering right up to your shoulders, is a bonus.

It's just a shame there's no electric adjustment, because pretty much everything else allows you to be completely lazy.

Power steering, power mirrors and windows, automatic climate control, adaptive radar cruise control, voice control and active steering basically allow you to sit back and enjoy the view.

OK, so the active steering is virtually useless, but at least you can tell your friends you can go, stop and turn all by itself. Bragging rights are influential.

toyota c hr 904

Oh, and the C-HR's collision detection system and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) are very sensitive by comparison, and very effective. Let's just say we encountered one Spaniard who missed his siesta while navigating a roundabout...

Once the seats have wowed you, the eye is drawn to the dashboard, which combines elegance and technology with the same level of flippant nonchalance as Nigella Lawson combines avocado and chocolate. It's disturbing how nicely a Toyota dashboard swoops around you, how effortlessly the large touch-screen flows into its surroundings.

The only shortcoming is that Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are not supported.

Even the temperature controls look and feel good. Like a smoking hot physiotherapist with perfect skin, they're attractive and functional.

toyota c hr 914

The eye candy continues, with the gear shifter, twin cup holders and the steering wheel with its plethora of buttons make this cabin one of the finest I've seen in a small car that doesn't bear a German badge to date. In some ways it even shames the Mercedes GLA-Class cabin.

Ultimately, you feel special sitting in this car, and that's a massive accomplishment for the cardigan car-maker.

The rear seats look cramped but are actually quite roomy. You'll get four adults in this thing, no drama. I really liked the big bottle holders in the rear seats too. Clearly the new-and-improved Toyota has studied it youthful target demographic carefully.

toyota c hr 918

The only thing about the rear is that it feels a bit claustrophobic, with its dwarven windows. The massive C-pillar that eats away rear window space makes head-checking redundant but the side and centre mirrors provide decent rearward vision.

Cramming gear in the boot won't be too troublesome, although its 377 litres of space can't match the 430 litres of the Nissan QASHQAI, which Toyota Australia says is its chief rival. On the plus side you can fold down the rear seats for more space.

There's no spare wheel in the car we tested.

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Driving the Toyota C-HR is easier (but not as rewarding) as picking your nose. Just slot the shifter into D, tickle the throttle Bob's your uncle.

All C-HR models coming to Australia are powered by a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine, generating 85kW and 185Nm. It's enough to propel the slightly lardy 1510kg top-spec AWD variant to 100km/h in 11.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 180km/h. In other words, it's not slow but it ain't fast either.

The CVT or continuously variable transmission is not a bad operator in that gets the job done very smoothly. But like a colleague who tells you about their awkward 12-month ordeal with tinea, it does tend to drone.

Using a claimed 6.3L/100km, it can achieve decent fuel economy too.

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After talking to the car's chief engineer, Hiroyuki Koba, who personally clocked up "30 or 40 laps" in the C-HR on Germany's hellish Nurburgring road course, I was excited to see how the car performed at the limit on twisty road. As it turns out, it's not great.

There's a fair bit of body roll in the AWD version and the weight transfer as you change direction between corners makes it feel as ponderous as a hippo on a tight-rope. Maybe the FWD manual will be a better option for purists.

The steering is lifeless too. On a damp, twisting ribbon of billiard-table smooth Spanish asphalt it's like Toyota strapped a mouldy banana to the steering rack. It's sloppy and mushy and you're forced to make corrections mid-corner.

But really, who is going to drive the C-HR like this? Hiro Koba and a few journalists, that's about it.

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At middling speeds -- the bandwidth where most owners will operate -- it’s pretty tidy through corners and has many redeeming qualities besides. The high driving position provides a good view over passenger car traffic and ride comfort is surprisingly good, the car's suspension absorbing some really nasty pot holes with ease.

It has a tight turning circle, is easy to park and has an excellent, ultra-clear reversing camera feed.

Words like tedious, conformist and lacklustre are normally associated with Toyota, not words like attractive, edgy and cool. But that's exactly what the Toyota C-HR is.

It's very un-Toyota. And by Jove it's refreshing!

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Granted, it doesn't drive quite as dynamically as it looks but with impressive ride comfort, a sporty exterior design and a gorgeous interior fitout, the lack of driving engagement can be forgiven. Easily.

Expect to get all the usual ownership goodies in this car – including cheap capped-price servicing and solid reliability – but in a functional city SUV that's good to look at, good to sit and isn't too bad to drive.

If this is a sign of things to come from Toyota, bring it on.

2017 Toyota C-HR pricing and specifications:
Price: $27,000 (estimated)
Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 85kW/185Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed continuously variable
Fuel: 6.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 144g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: TBA

Also consider:
>> Audi Q3 (from $42,900 plus ORCs)
>> Nissan QASHQAI (from $25,990 plus ORCs)
>> Volkswagen Golf (from $22,840 plus ORCs)

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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
81/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
14/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
16/20
Safety & Technology
18/20
Behind The Wheel
16/20
X-Factor
17/20
Pros
  • Interior finish
  • Ride comfort
  • Standard equipment
Cons
  • Rear-end design
  • Driving dynamics
  • Could be expensive
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