New Toyota C-HR is Japanese Luxury at its best

The small SUV segment, for which the Toyota C-HR is aimed, is currently a popular target for many car manufacturers, taking into account South Africans’ fondness of SUVs and bakkies.

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Toyota launched the C-HR, or coupe-high rider, in February last year and the vehicle featured chunky crossover lines with a low-slung roofline like a coupe.

For this year’s model, the Japanese carmaker has introduced an all-new range-topping model dubbed “Luxury”.

Although not everyone is a fan of the C-HR’s looks, it is a unique car and a tempting alternative to more normal crossover models.

With a price tag of R422 100, the Luxury offers much in terms of style, comfort, convenience, and safety specification.

It is different from the C-HR models across the range with a bi-tone design that comprises a black roof, roof-pillars and side-mirrors.

You also get smoked rear-tail lamps, full-LED headlights, fog lights, daytime running lights and stylish 18-inch alloy wheels.

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There is everything you could ever want in this top-of-the-range car – electrically adjustable lumbar support, key-less entry with push-button start, park distance control and Intelligent Parking Assist and reverse camera.

The interior is spacious and feels premium, thanks to leather-clad seats that have heaters for both driver and passenger. And despite the sloping roofline, rear passengers should have adequate headroom.

The easy-to-use infotainment system is a pleasure to use, from pairing the smartphone and navigating to using Apple CarPlay.

The Luxury is still powered by the 1 197cc, 1.2-litre turbocharged engine with an adequate 85 kW of power and 185 Nm of torque and this model is paired exclusively to a CVT transmission driving the front wheels.

I did not try this myself, but Toyota claims the car can go from zero to 100km/h in 10.9 seconds before maxing out at a top speed of 190km/h.

In terms of driving, the C-HR feels sportier and more dynamic than its rivals.

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It is comfortable and body roll is minimal, thanks to the nicely weighted steering wheel.

I must say, though, that I am not a fan of CVT gearboxes. However, the unit in the C-HR is the best I have experienced to date.

The engine is paired nicely to the CVT, but the engine itself has a tendency to drone, especially under hard acceleration.

The car cruises nicely on the open road, without going gear hunting like other rivals I have tested with CVTs.

You get Sport, Normal and Eco modes, which alter the weight of the steering, the throttle response, and CVT gearbox ratios to suit your mood and the road conditions.

I found that the car felt most drivable in Normal.

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I tried to drive it economically and managed to get 7.1 litres per 100km on the open road, but driving in and around urban areas brought up the number to 8.1 litres per 100km.

Safety comes standard in the form of Vehicle Stability Control, ABS, nine airbags, Brake Assist plus two ISOFIX attachment points.

All C-HR models come with an expanded six-year/90 000 km service plan and three-year/100 000 km warranty.

And service intervals are 15 000 km.

What we like

• Handling sportier than rivals.
• Premium feel to interior.
• Very solid CVT gearbox.

What we do not like 

• Engine tends to drone under hard acceleration.
• Unique styling won’t be everybody’s cup of tea.

Verdict 

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Packed with features, this small SUV is a great alternative to the normal crossover offering.