Specifications of Toyota C-HR (facelift 2020) 1.2 (116 HP) AWD CVT/Multidrive S
General characteristics of Toyota C-HR (facelift 2020) 1.2 (116 HP) AWD CVT/Multidrive S
The Toyota C-HR is small, but it's not quite as tiny as the Mazda CX-3. For instance, the C-HR is 4.3 inches longer and 1.1 inches broader than its fellow Japanese counterpart. Key dimensions for the Toyota include a height of 61.6 inches, a width of 70.7 inches, a length of 172.6 inches, and a 103.9-inch wheelbase. Off-roading isn't in the C-HR's repertoire, a point emphasized by its 5.9 inches of ground clearance. The Toyota's curb weight is pegged at 3,300 pounds, making it around 300 lbs heavier than the AWD version of the CX-3.
Every C-HR model comes with the same powertrain. A 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine almost reluctantly churns out 144 hp and 139 lb-ft of torque, and it comes paired with a CVT transmission. As is often the case with smaller vehicles, the powertrain's shortcomings are partially masked in city driving, where the C-HR scampers around reasonably well. Its compact size heightens the impression that you're making decent progress. But once on the highway, the lack of grunt is immediately noticeable and a firmly planted right foot is required to merge safely or overtake slower traffic, as we found on our test drive. The need to rev out the engine emphasizes that it isn't a particularly refined unit, either, while the CVT highlights the drone from the four-pot. A manual transmission and a turbocharged engine would do wonders to improve the driving appeal of the C-HR.
Sometimes, an uninspiring engine will redeem itself with stellar fuel efficiency. However, the Toyota C-HR is merely average for the class in this respect. The C-HR returns EPA-rated figures of 27/31/29 mpg across the city/highway/combined cycles. When the 13.2-gallon gas tank is full, you can expect a range of approximately 383 miles in a combination of city and highway driving. By comparison, the Kia Soul can attain 29/35/31 mpg and the Mazda CX-3 is also better with estimates of 29/34/31 mpg.
Although technically labeled as a five-seater, our review of the Toyota C-HR revealed that it's much better to think of this as a four-seater. The crossover has a good amount of leg- and headroom for the driver and front-seat passenger, but at the back, occupants over six-feet tall will find their heads making contact with the roof. You can blame the sloping roofline for that. Rear-seat legroom is acceptable rather than great, but three adults at the back will struggle with the shoulder room as the body simply isn't that wide. More positively, the seats themselves are comfortable on all models, with six-way manually-adjustable front seats making way for a power-adjustable driver's seat higher up in the range. Ingress and egress pose no issues and outward visibility is good, besides the rear headrests which partially block the view out.
The base LE is the only version that comes with a urethane-trimmed steering wheel, with models above this using a leather-wrapped steering wheel. However, all models enjoy a leather-trimmed shift lever with a satin-plated shift knob. The entry-level model makes do with black fabric seats, while the XLE has the same with blue trim. The only version to get leather-upholstered seats is the Limited, but once again, customers are restricted to a black color scheme.
As far as SUVs go, the Toyota C-HR can only do so much with its compact dimensions and emphasis on style. Behind the rear seats, it offers 19.1 cubic feet of volume, which is sufficient for everyday needs, but the available space won't earn any rave reviews and falls short of the competition. For instance, the Honda HR-V offers a more generous 24.3 cubes with the rear seats in their usual position. With the C-HR's 60/40-split-folding seats lying flat, a more useful 37 cubes of space is freed up, but this still can't come close to rivals like the Honda HR-V which offers over 20 cubes more with its rear seats folded.
Interior storage space for smaller items is pretty good, with a deep center console, door compartments in front, a well-sized glove box, two cupholders in front, and two bottle holders at the back. Most trims also have seatback map pockets.
