Toyota Reveals C-HR for Australia

Toyota Australia’s stunning C-HR will be offered in two premium grades when it arrives in local showrooms during the first quarter of 2017.

Extroverted exterior styling, an upscale cabin ambience with superior features, advanced safety and fun-to-drive dynamics will be standard in Toyota’s two-pronged approach.

The C-HR’s aggressive exterior is the first Toyota to exhibit a diamond architectural theme with faceted gemstone-like shapes, fluid surfaces and elegantly integrated detailing. A sophisticated European-designed interior offers enhanced emotional appeal with fashionable styling, high sensory quality, a driver-focused cockpit and engaging functionality.

The promise of advanced driving pleasure implicit in the eye-catching exterior design will be delivered by a new, highly rigid platform, a powerful yet efficient turbocharged engine and front or all-wheel drive powertrains.

Toyota Australia’s executive director sales and marketing Tony Cramb said the C-HR represents the next step in the evolution of “SUV” because it does not fit neatly into a category of vehicles that originally focused on the ‘U’ for off-road utility.

“C-HR is a car for people who want something special – those who desire the innovative dynamism and emotional appeal that a traditional SUV cannot offer,” Mr Cramb said.

“C-HR advances the very definition of SUV by emphasising the ‘S’ that stands for ‘sport’ and ‘style’,” he said.

“It has four doors and a hatch, but it’s not a hatchback; it’s compact while having a large interior and room for five; it has a high driving position, yet it’s not a boxy off-roader.

“Not only does the C-HR always look like it’s on the move, the new platform and turbocharged petrol engine ensure it delivers an agile driving feel.”

The higher of the two local grades for C-HR will be called Koba, a tribute to the car’s global chief engineer, Hiroyuki Koba.

In keeping with the innovation of C-HR, Toyota dealers are now offering customers the latest showroom technology for configuring the car with its rich palette of eight exterior colours, including a new radiant green.

Local models will feature advanced safety features including a pre-collision system with autonomous braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert with steering control, automatic high beam and a reversing camera.

Additional features for the Koba variants include heated seats, a smart entry and start system, privacy glass and 18-inch alloy wheels. The C-HR combines a powerful lower body and raised ground clearance with the slim and sleek cabin profile of a coupe. Wheel arches project prominently at all four corners to emphasise the new car’s strength and rigidity.

The slender upper grille flows from the Toyota badge into the sleek, aggressive wing extremities of the headlamp clusters and wraps around the front corners of the vehicle. The C-HR’s coupe-like styling is further enhanced by disguised rear door handles integrated within the C pillar and the sweeping roofline that projects into a large, aerodynamic spoiler. The strongly tapered cabin integrates a top-hinged tailgate and prominent rear light clusters.

Inside, Toyota has debuted a “sensual tech” design concept that combines high-tech functionality with a sensual and fashionable style. Operating switchgear is slightly oriented towards the driver and an asymmetrical centre console design ensures all controls are within easy reach.

Australian models will feature a 6.1-inch touch-screen display and new two-tiered front-seat design. Diamond-shaped switches evoke the exterior styling cues and the diamond theme is also visible in the door trim pattern, the headliner and the needles of the driver’s analogue instrument dials. Decorative elements are finished in high-quality piano black and satin silver trim with clear blue illumination for the instruments and switches.