Toyota C-HR 2017 car review

Our test vehicle was coloured in Electric Teal paint, and stood out quite contrastingly while driving around Auckland over a gloomy, overcast winter weekend. It was a bit like a small patch of blue sky emerging through a grey cloud.

To go along with its striking body design, there’s a variety of colours that really scream at you, some of which are named, Sun Fusion, Sunset Bronze or Tidal Blue. The rear door handles are disguised and placed up near the roof line trim to give that coupe-like vibe. The power folding door mirrors project a C-HR light beam onto the ground as puddle lamps (nice touch). Actually there is not a lot that this car doesn’t have.

Spencer Morris, Toyota New Zealand’s General Manager of Product says about the new C-HR “It will appeal to early-adopters and buyers who want an edge over the status quo – something maybe a little more exciting that tempts them outside their comfort zone”.

Both models (2WD and AWD) feature a 1.2Ltr turbo engine which provides power and economy into one tight little package. The inclusion of the Toyota Safety Sense package has helped this compact SUV receive a 5-star ANCAP safety rating. The CVT transmission actually performed very well when coupled to the turbo engine, making the combination quite responsive when I put my foot down.

Tow capacity is not the C-HR’s strong point, but we’ve come to understand that most CVT’s are not really designed for towing. You could however take the garden waste to the tip, or provide a mount for the bike.

I must admit I loved this little SUV; it was comfortable, functional and fun for the most part. If I had to niggle, it would be at the slight banging of the lightweight parcel tray when driving over a bump, and maybe the fact that the rear passengers have to lean forward to look out the wedge-like door windows. Comfort and passenger space in the back is great; it’s not as small as it looks from its exterior appearance.