Toyota C-HR+ review

Did you know that there’s an American Psycho 2? It wasn’t initially intended to be a sequel, but during production, studio executives decided otherwise. Perhaps a similar thing happened with the Toyota C-HR+. 

You see, the Toyota C-HR and C-HR+ are very different. The former is a small SUV available as a hybrid or plug-in hybrid (PHEV). The latter is an all-new, all-electric SUV built on dedicated electric vehicle (EV) underpinnings – shared with the Toyota bZ4X. The C-HR+ is bigger (in every dimension) than the C-HR, and we class it as a family SUV. 

So, the name is mostly there to give the C-HR+ a sense of familiarity with buyers. But like how American Psycho 2 failed as both a sequel and a film in and of itself, does the CH-R+ pale in comparison to rivals? Its toughest competition comes from the five-star Renault Scenic and Skoda Elroq, but if you’re willing to dip your toes into the small electric SUV class, there’s also the Kia EV3.

What’s new?

- March 2026: Finished C-HR+ arrives in the UK. We test the Design trim, which gets a 77kWh battery and 376 miles of official range
- October 2025: C-HR+ prototype driven in France

How fast is it and which motor is best?

The entry-level Toyota C-HR+ is badged Icon. It has a 57.7kWh battery and a 165bhp electric motor powering the front wheels, but we’re yet to drive it. 

Design and Excel trims get a 77kWh battery and a 221bhp electric motor (again, driving the front wheels). We have tested this version, and it feels more than quick enough. It's punchier than the Renault Scenic, for instance. 

As for the Skoda Elroq, the C-HR+ feels similarly sprightly in most scenarios. The reason we say ‘most’ is because there is one exception: when you floor the accelerator from a standstill. Where the Elroq grips and goes, the C-HR+ can struggle to put its power down cleanly – even in perfect conditions. 

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

Let’s address the ride first, because it’s one of the C-HR+’s strongest points. It irons out bumps remarkably well, yet it manages to stay controlled – it’s not floaty or car-sickness inducing. All in all, the C-HR+ pips the Scenic for comfort and is just as impressive as the Elroq. That’s high praise. 

We recommend sticking with Design trim’s standard 18in wheels: the ride is a little firmer on the 20in wheels, but more notably, you miss out on some electric range (more on that later). 

Now, part of what makes the rival Elroq so exceptional is that its smooth ride comes at no expense to its sharp handling. Unfortunately, if you were wishing the C-HR+ would be the same, we’re afraid it’s not. 

The C-HR+ handles well enough in everyday driving, but get it on a fast, twisty road and it never feels particularly at home. It’s slow to react to rapid direction changes, and this is worsened by a fair amount of body lean. 

Then there’s the steering itself: it’s a bit unnerving, because it can transition from slow and light to quick and heavy quite unpredictably as you put lock on. By comparison, the Elroq’s steering is far more progressive and precise. 

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

The C-HR+ is indeed quiet. You can easily drown out the faint electric motor whine, and there’s only a little bit of wind noise on the motorway. The 20in wheels produce some road noise – more than the 18in wheels do – but not enough to cause a headache. 

You have four different levels of regenerative braking in the C-HR+, each incrementally increasing the amount that the car slows down when you lift your foot off the accelerator pedal. Even the highest setting won’t bring the C-HR+ to a complete stop, but all four levels feel very natural, making it easy to come to a smooth stop. When you do have to use the brake pedal, it’s easy to judge how much pressure you need to apply.

What’s the range and efficiency like, and how quickly can it charge?

The C-HR+ is competitive for range, especially if you go for Design or Excel trim. Again, they get a bigger 77kWh battery, upping the range from 284 miles to 376 miles. For comparison, the Skoda Elroq 85 can officially manage 360 miles and the Renault Scenic 381 miles. 

Choosing the 20in wheels – optional with Design and standard on Excel – takes the range down to 347 miles. Like we said, it’s a reason to stick with the 18in wheels if possible. 

As for efficiency, the CH-R+ averaged an impressive 5.6mi/kWh during our test, which took place under sunny conditions across mostly country roads. That’s an exceptional return for an electric SUV.

Every C-HR+ is capable of a 150kW maximum charging rate, which is the same as the Scenic and not far off the Elroq 85 (175kW). Using a DC charger, a 10-80% charge can take around half an hour. Generously, battery preconditioning and a heat pump comes as standard. 

“Other countries are getting an all-wheel drive version of the C-HR+, which is the most powerful Toyota ever (outside of the GR Sport range). I thought that felt pretty quick, but didn’t find it so exciting to think we’re missing out.” – Dan Jones, Senior reviewer

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

You might expect the Toyota C-HR+ to look a lot like the normal C-HR inside, but it actually feels much more modern, with a larger 14in infotainment touchscreen, a new 7in digital driver display and a redesigned centre console that now comes with two wireless phone chargers as standard. 

There are plenty of soft-touch materials used on the dashboard, doors and armrests, and overall the quality feels on a par with the Renault Scenic and Skoda Elroq. Sure, there are scratchy plastics dotted around in the C-HR+, but most of them are low down and out of sight. 

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

For an SUV, you sit quite close to the ground in the C-HR+. If you don’t mind that, the driving position itself is comfortable, with plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel. Just make sure you can set up the steering wheel in a way that’s both comfortable and unobstructive to the driver’s display. 

In spite of the low seating position in the C-HR+, you still get a good view out of the front and over the bonnet. Better still, the pillars are quite thin, with an additional cut out in the bottom, helping to increase your view at junctions. 

The coupé-inspired rear end of the C-HR+ means that rear visibility is compromised a little, with large rear pillars getting in the way when you look over your shoulder. What’s more, the rear window itself is pretty small, making it a little more difficult to see when you’re reversing. 

Luckily, to make parking easier, every C-HR+ comes with front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera and Toyota’s Advanced Parking Assist system (which parks the car for you). 

Is the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

While the other Toyota C-HR comes with physical controls for the air conditioning, the C-HR+ only has two physical controls, each changing the temperature of their respective side. Everything else has to be done through the infotainment touchscreen, which is more distracting to do as you’re driving along. In fairness, though, it’s a similar situation in most rivals, such as the Renault Scenic and Skoda Elroq. 

As mentioned, the new infotainment touchscreen measures 14in, which is about 2in larger than what you’ll find in the regular C-HR. Even so, the software is very similar to its sibling, meaning it has the same easy to read sharp graphics but with a slightly faster operating system, making it more responsive as you prod around. 

Every C-HR+ comes with a good amount of standard infotainment features, including wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring and built-in sat-nav.

“I really like the amount of physical buttons that you get on the C-HR+’s steering wheel. Not only do they make life easier as you drive along, but they also feel of a good quality.” – Dan Jones, Senior reviewer

How much space does it have for people?

We doubt anyone will struggle for head or leg room in the front of the Toyota C-HR+, while the width ensures plenty of shoulder room, too. 

You get a few storage spaces in the front, including a couple of cupholders, a cubby within the central armrest and a decent-sized glovebox. The door bins are split into two sections, giving you space for two water bottles. 

Because the C-HR+ is slightly larger than the normal C-HR, you have a little more room in the rear. Even so, it still feels cramped, with the coupe-styled rear end eating into head room for those measuring six-feet tall. The rear seats can be reclined slightly, but that only increases head room a little. 

Leg room is also tight for anyone six-foot tall or taller. In short, the Renault Scenic, Skoda Elroq and Kia EV3 small SUV are all roomier alternatives. 

On the plus side, three people sitting in the rear will have enough shoulder room to get reasonably comfortable, while the person sitting in the middle seat will be thankful that there’s only a tiny central tunnel to straddle.

How much room does it have for luggage?

With 416 litres of space, the C-HR+’s boot will manage a fairly big food shop or a small family’s holiday luggage, but nonetheless it falls short of key rivals. The Skoda Elroq has 470 litres of space and the Renault Scenic a cavernous 545 litres. Even the Kia EV3 has a bigger boot, offering 460 litres.

The C-HR+ isn’t helped by the fact that its boot isn’t all that high, making it harder to load tall items in. That is, unless you remove the back part of the floor, which unveils a small cubby (ideal for storing the charging cables) and gives you a little more clearance. 

For a little extra space, you can split the rear seats in a 60/40 configuration and fold them completely flat with the boot floor. The Elroq is the same, but the Scenic has a more versatile 40/20/40 split. 

“I found it really handy that the C-HR+ has a 12V socket in the boot, allowing you to plug things like a coolbox in while driving” – Dan Jones, Senior reviewer

How much does it cost?

As of writing, the Toyota C-HR+ costs from around £35,000 as a cash purchase, and that’s before the £1500 government grant it’s eligible for. That’s very reasonable, considering the Skoda Elroq costs a similar amount and the Renault Scenic is noticeably more expensive. 

Our recommended Design version ups the price to around £37,000 (again, before the grant), which is still very reasonable. We just wouldn’t give range-topping Excel much thought. It currently costs around £41,000 and, as we’ve said, the 20in wheels firms up the ride a little and takes a toll on electric range.

What equipment do you get?

Entry-level Icon trim is very well equipped. It has luxuries like adaptive cruise control, a powered tailgate, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel – all as standard. If the Icon’s shorter electric range suits you, this trim could be well worth considering. 

As for Design, it doesn’t gain much in the way of kit – only really privacy glass and the option of 20in wheels. It’s more about that larger 77kWh battery. 

Similarly, Excel only really adds standard 20in wheels, an electrically adjustable driver’s seat and a two-tone roof.

Is it reliable and how long is the warranty?

We’ll have to wait and see exactly how reliable the C-HR+ proves to be, but you can have confidence in Toyota’s great reputation for reliability. The brand ranked fourth out of 31 brands in our latest What Car? Reliability Survey, beating Kia, Renault and Skoda. 

Toyota’s warranty runs for 10 years and 100,000 miles (as long as you service your car with an official dealer), and that’s industry leading. Kia covers its cars for up to seven years, while Renault and Skoda offer three years of cover. 

How safe is it?

The C-HR+ is yet to be safety tested by Euro NCAP, but at least the car comes with plenty of standard safety kit, like automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assist, traffic-sign recognition and blind-spot monitoring. Range-topping Excel trim gets lane change assist, front cross traffic alert, park assist and a panoramic view monitor.

“I’m glad to see that the pricing is competitive with the Elroq.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Buy it if...

- You want a car that should be very reliable

- A long range between charges is important to you

- You’d like a comfortable EV that’s easy to drive

Don’t buy it if…

- Rear seat practicality is important to you

- You need a big boot 

- You’re after a car that feels agile on a country road

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