Second-generation hybrid SUV gets a plug-in option plus more passenger space On sale Summer Price from £32,000 (est)
Darren Moss Darren.Moss@haymarket.com
“VARIETY’S THE SPICE of life, that gives it all its flavour,” English poet William Cowper wrote in 1785 – and the phrase rather neatly explains the second-generation Toyota C-HR.
You see, while Toyota will soon offer a smaller electric SUV (the bZ3X featured on page 16), the C-HR will live on as an option for family SUV buyers who don’t want to go fully electric.
Previewed by this C-HR Prologue concept, the new version adds a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) option to the first-generation car’s line-up.You’ll still be able to buy a regular hybrid version, too; this is expected to be offered with an evolution of the entry-level 1.8-litre petrol engine and electric motor combination in today’s model. That car can run on electric power alone in low-speed traffic, with the petrol engine helping out at higher speeds.
Our experience of the 1.8-litre engine in the current C-HR suggests that it won’t be particularly quick but could be well suited to buyers who mainly do shorter journeys around town. Real-world fuel economy of 50mpg or more should be possible without trying too hard, meaning less time – and money – spent at petrol pumps.
The PHEV version is expected to get the same 147bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine and 158bhp electric motor as the recently unveiled new Toyota Prius (which isn’t coming to the UK).The latter has a 13.6kWh battery that promises an electric-only range of up to 58 miles – more than is offered by most other PHEVs, with the exception of recent arrivals such as the Mercedes-Benz C300e and Range Rover Sport P440e.
For most drivers, that sort of range would make it possible to do a daily commute or school run without using any petrol at all, as long as they charged up the battery regularly.
As well as adding the PHEV option,Toyota is also giving the second-generation C-HR more interior space, especially for rear seat passengers.The existing model struggles against key rivals in this respect; it’s well beaten for room in the back seats by the Nissan Qashqai and Seat Ateca, for example.
The extra space is achieved by placing the wheel
