Facelift Toyota C-HR muscles-up with GR Sport attire

With the Tokyo Motor Show kicking-off later this week, Toyota has expanded its GR Sport moniker to include the C-HR now available in Japan.

Arriving mere weeks after the facelift model debuted in Europe and North America, the GR Sport upgrades mainly consists of exterior and interior revisions as well as subtle dynamic tweaks, with forward motivation remaining unchanged.

In the case of the former, the C-HR receives a GR Sport bodykit made up of a bespoke front bumper with wider side vents and a honeycomb patterned lower grille, extended wheel arches, a special front underguard, new fog light bezels, GR Sport badges on the front grille bar, bootlid and fenders, and quad exhaust outlets integrated into the rear diffuser.

Riding on model specific 19-inch alloy wheels, the interior tweaks are less dramatic but still includes a GR Sport branded leather-wrapped steering wheel with dark inlays, GR Sport sport seats complete with silver double stitching, alloy pedals, dark silver metallic inserts and a GR starter button.

As mentioned, Toyota has also been busy underneath the C-HR’s skin where the electric power steering system has been recalibrated for better response, the front and rear coil springs revised and the stabaliser bars upgraded.

In Japan, the C-HR GR Sport will be offered in a choice of two drivetrain options; the 1.8-litre hybrid that produces a combined output of 72kW/145Nm and the 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol outputting 85kW/185Nm.

Based on the respective S and ST derivatives of the standard C-HR, both models are front-wheel-drive, but with the hybrid employing a CVT as opposed to the petrol’s six-speed manual with Intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT) technology that automatically blips the engine on downshifting.

Limited to its home market for now, the GR Sport is priced at ¥2 732 000 (R372 490) for the petrol and at ¥3 095 000 (R421 983) for the hybrid.

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