Toyota C-HR review

A few years ago, Toyota had a bit of an image problem. Sure, its cars were very reliable, but fashionable? Not really. And then the Toyota C-HR small SUV came along.

The C-HR helped make the brand a bit more hip with its angular styling, and this second-generation model comes with the promise of more tech, more fun and a bit more space.

It's roughly the same size as its main rivals – the boxier Seat Ateca and Skoda Karoq – although its rakish, coupé-inspired looks have more in common with the slightly smaller Nissan Juke. However, the C-HR isn't a cheap option, and its price strays well into the territory of premium-brand models including the BMW X1 and Lexus LBX.

Toyota C-HR video review

That's partly because it's available only with hybrid engines – you can have a regular hybrid or a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) – and the payback is impressive fuel economy and low CO2 emissions. The PHEV version also offers the prospect of a decent electric-only range, which compares well with competitors such as the plug-in Kia Niro and the Mazda MX-30 R-EV.

So what’s it like and should you buy one? Read on to find out how the Toyota C-HR squares up against the best small SUVs...

There's a choice of two regular hybrid petrol engines for the Toyota C-HR – a 138bhp 1.8-litre and a more potent 193bhp 2.0-litre. There's also the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version, combining the 2.0-litre engine with a bigger battery. Whichever version you go for, you get a responsive CVT automatic gearbox.

The 1.8-litre C-HR is our pick. It’s no speed demon, managing 0-62mph in 10.2 seconds officially (a second slower than a Lexus LBX) but it’ll get you up to motorway speeds without much fuss.

If that won’t cut it for you, check out the 2.0-litre regular hybrid. We timed one at our private test track accelerating from a standstill to 60mph in 8.4 seconds, making it slightly quicker than the Ford Puma 1.0 Ecoboost 155 and VW T-Roc 1.5 TSI 150.

The PHEV C-HR has more power (220bhp) and is quicker still, covering 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds, making it faster in a straight line than a Kia Niro PHEV or Mazda MX-30 R-EV. It has an official electric-only range of 41 miles, which is a little further than those two rivals.

The C-HR has relatively soft suspension for a generally smooth ride. For the best experience, you’ll want Icon or Design trim, because they come on 17in and 18in wheels respectively – as opposed to the 19in alloys that come as standard on range-topping Premiere Edition trim.

We’ve yet to drive the GR Sport version – which has stiffer suspension and 20in alloys – but we'd expect it to be the firmest riding C-HR. That said, the lower trims are far from perfect: they sometimes trip up over sharp abrasions, which you feel and hear. The Lexus LBX and (even more so) the VW T-Roc cushion you better. 

Those cars also feel more planted on the road, while the CH-R can seem unsettled. On an undulating country road and you might start to feel a bit like a bobblehead as you’re jostled around, although the effect never becomes harsh or violent. Likewise, on a motorway it's not as settled as an LBX or T-Roc.  

The PHEV C-HR has a slightly retuned suspension set-up to cope with its heavier battery, electric motors and chargers. It's a little firmer than the regular hybrid but has a similar ride.

The C-HR isn't as sharp or fun to drive as an Audi Q2 or Ford Puma but still handles in a competent, grown-up manner when you're driving normally, and feels well balanced and light on its feet. The steering is a bit vague on centre but proves decently precise once you’re in a turn.

Body control is quite relaxed, so there’s some lean to contend with around roundabouts and on country roads. The front tyres don't have a great deal of grip, which means if you start to push the car’s handling you'll quickly notice the front end of the car running wide of your chosen line. It's not alarming, but it does rob you of some confidence.

The GR Sport version, with its stiffer suspension and stickier tyres, could well be more agile and grippier (we'll let you know as soon as we've tried it).

The regular hybrid C-HR can be driven along on the electric motor alone at low speeds, and when it's doing that it’s quieter than most non-hybrid small SUVs. However, anything more than gentle acceleration requires the help of the petrol engine, at which point things get a bit rowdy, especially in the 2.0-litre version.

The blame lies with the CVT auto gearbox – when you squeeze your right foot, the revs rise suddenly and stay high until you’re up to your desired speed, filling the interior with an annoying drone. The CVT-equipped Lexus LBX has the same trait, but its three-cylinder engine is much quieter than the 2.0-litre in the C-HR, making it a less tiring companion.

The plug-in hybrid version can travel for much greater distances on electric power alone, so you can enjoy the pure-electric silence for longer stints than you can in the regular hybrid. When the engine does kick in, it tends to do so in a calm and smooth manner, although it can still prove a bit raucous when asked for a strong burst of acceleration.

Whichever version you buy, the C-HR's interior is well isolated from wind and road noise, and the brake pedal is far less grabby than in some other hybrid cars.

“While the plug-in hybrid C-HR feels slightly firmer than the regular hybrid and tends to trip up over potholes in town, I think it rides well on motorways.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

Although the Toyota C-HR is a small SUV, you don't sit as high up in it as in many rivals. You're closer to the road than in a Skoda Karoq for example, although you do still feel further from the ground than in a regular hatchback, such as a VW Golf. 

There are no major ergonomic issues inside, and mercifully the C-HR has physical controls for its air-conditioning system (unlike many modern cars). The seat and steering wheel have plenty of adjustment, although taller drivers might be disappointed that the seat can’t drop especially low.

You get adjustable lumbar support with all trims except entry-level Icon, which is only available for the regular hybrid and also has a smaller digital driver's display than other versions (7in rather than 12.3in).

The C-HR's heavily styled rear end makes it hard to see what’s behind you when you're reversing, and the small rear side windows don’t help.

Fortunately, all versions have a reversing camera to help get around the issue. Parking sensors are an option on entry-level Icon trim, while Design models and above come with front and rear parking sensors as standard.

The view out of the front is generally good and the front pillars don't get in the way too much at junctions. However, some boxier small SUVs are even easier to see out of.

Entry-level Icon trim includes a fairly small 8.0in infotainment touchscreen, which comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay plus a Cloud-based navigation app.

All other C-HR trims have a 12.3in touchscreen. It's positioned high up on the dashboard and is angled slightly towards the driver so it's easy to see and reach. The operating system isn't the most intuitive but you get the hang of it fairly quickly, and the screen responds quickly when you press it. Versions with the bigger screen have a built-in sat-nav and voice recognition.

You get a six-speaker stereo on most trim levels, with a more powerful nine-speaker JBL sound system (which sounds great) fitted to Excel and Premiere Edition models. The JBL system is optional on the GR Sport.

The C-HR feels reasonably plush inside by small SUV standards. There's plenty of soft-touch plastic, along with suede-effect lining on the insides of the doors of GR Sport, Excel and Premiere Edition models.

Cheaper Icon and Design models have seats trimmed in a fabric made from 100% recycled bottles, while the part suede-effect upholstery on Excel models is made from 45% old bottles. Going for Premiere Edition trim is the only way to get full-leather seats.

In the main, the C-HR's interior feels well screwed together, although there are a few wobbly bits, including some plastic trim on the inside of the doors (and it’s a shame the rear doors are covered in very cheap-feeling plastic).

If you want to experience the plushest interior in the class, we'd point you in the direction of the Lexus LBX. In the PHEV world, the C-HR’s interior compares very well with competitors', although the Mazda MX-30 R-EV is even classier.

“I like that the C-HR's centre console is angled towards the driver, making it easy to view the controls. Plus, while so many rivals force you to use their touchscreens for simple tasks like changing the temperature, it's great to see Toyota retaining physical dials and buttons.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

You won’t have any issues with space in the front of the Toyota C-HR unless you’re well over six feet tall. Thanks to its fairly wide interior, you also won’t feel as though you’re rubbing shoulders with your front seat passenger.

Toyota says the fixed glass roof (optional on Design and GR Sport and standard on the Premiere Edition) raises the height of the ceiling by 3cm rather than reducing head room, and it certainly makes the interior feel more open and airy.

There’s some stowage space between the driver and passenger for odds and ends, along with a couple of cupholders next to the gear lever. The door pockets are rather slender though.

Given that the C-HR has a similar footprint to a Skoda Karoq, you might assume rear space would be similar in both cars. Sadly, that’s not the case.

In fact, the C-HR is actually pretty cramped in the back, with rear leg and head room closer to that offered by smaller SUVs such as the Lexus LBX and Peugeot 2008. Head room in the back is particularly disappointing.

Two children – or even younger teenagers – won’t moan about outright space, but they might feel rather claustrophobic because of the tiny rear side windows. Squeezing three in the back is more difficult than in many of the C-HR’s rivals.

All C-HRs come with 60/40 split-folding rear seats but that’s about your lot for boot versatility. There’s no option to add more convenient 40/20/40 folding seats and there are no handles in the boot to fold the seatbacks down (you push a button next to the rear headrests).

The rear seats don’t slide or recline, and adjustable lumbar support is available for only the driver, not the front passenger.

For better flexibility, take a look at a Skoda Karoq fitted with Varioflex seats, which can be reclined, slid back and forth, or even removed from the car altogether.

The C-HR’s boot is big enough that you'll be able to pack enough for a weekend away, but outright boot space is disappointing compared with boxier small SUVS, such as the Seat Ateca and Skoda Karoq.

The 1.8-litre regular hybrid C-HR has the biggest boot in the range, at 388 litres. The 2.0-litre regular hybrid has a higher boot floor, leaving 364 litres. In the PHEV it drops to 310 litres, which is less than the Kia Niro and the Mazda MX-30 R-EV.

We managed to fit six carry-on suitcases in the boot of the 2.0-litre regular hybrid – the same as we squeezed into the Audi Q2 and Lexus LBX.

It’s a pity Toyota hasn’t made the boot easier to use. For example, there’s no height-adjustable boot floor, meaning there’s always an annoyingly big lip at the boot entrance – unless you go for the PHEV version, which has that high boot floor anyway.

“The C-HR's standard-fit panoramic glass roof helps to make the rear of the car feel a bit less drab and dark, but it's by no means a cure-all.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

As a cash buy, the Toyota C-HR doesn’t seem particularly cheap, especially when you compare it with the price of an entry-level Seat Ateca or Skoda Karoq. In fact, the more expensive C-HR trim levels creep into the same territory as premium-badged alternatives, including the BMW X1, the Lexus LBX and the Volvo XC40.

It’s also quite a jump up to the plug-in hybrid model, which is more expensive than the equivalent Kia Niro PHEV or Mazda MX-30 R-EV. To make sure you get the best price, check our new Toyota car deals.

Thanks to low CO2 emissions, all versions of the C-HR are cheaper to run as a company car than many equivalent rivals. If you want to sacrifice significantly less of your salary in BIK tax, you'll need to consider an electric SUV such as the Kia Niro EV or Volvo EX40.

Official fuel economy is very impressive for all versions. During testing at our private test track, the 2.0 regular hybrid returned 48.8mpg. The official figures for the PHEV are ludicrously high and not representative of most real-world driving scenarios (the same can be said of all official PHEV figures), but it should still prove to be decently frugal if you charge the battery regularly.

If you're getting the regular hybrid, don't rule out entry-level Icon trim (which is not available with the PHEV). It comes with all of the essentials, including adaptive cruise control, keyless entry, climate control and LED headlights. However, it does have a smaller infotainment touchscreen than other trims levels.

Our favourite C-HR trim is Design. As well as the bigger touchscreen, it adds a larger digital driver display, ambient interior lighting and heated front seats. Plus, it gains extra parking aids and opens up some personalisation features, including the option to have a black roof.

Higher trim levels add an increasing amount of standard equipment but push the C-HR well into the price territory of bigger family SUVs, including the Range Rover Evoque and Volvo XC40.

Toyota came fifth out of 31 manufacturers in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey – a bit of a comedown from its previous position (second) but still excellent.

This latest-generation C-HR was too new to be included, but the previous model (2016-2023) was one of the most dependable cars in its class.

Although Toyota's standard three-year warranty is nothing special in itself, it is automatically extended for up to 10 years or 100,000 miles if you have your C-HR serviced annually at an official Toyota centre. That beats all rivals' offerings.

Euro NCAP gave the latest C-HR five stars out of five for safety. Its top scores were for Child Occupant protection and Vulnerable Road Users protection (86% in each section).

The C-HR comes with a fair amount of safety kit, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring and road-sign assist. You also get lane-departure warning and automatic high-beam assist for the headlights.

Upgrading to Design trim adds rear cross-traffic alert (which warns of approaching cars when you’re backing out of a driveway on to a road). Further active safety kit, including a driver monitoring camera and front cross traffic alert, is fitted to Excel and range-topping Premiere Edition models, and is available as on option on GR Sport trim.

“I think it's a shame the C-HR plug-in hybrid can't make use of DC public rapid chargers like the Mazda MX-30 R-EV can – using those can significantly shorten charging times.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

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