2018 Toyota CH-R wildly styled, gets great fuel economy
Kelly Taylor is a veteran, awardwinning automotive journalist and member of AJAC (Automobile Journalists’ Association of Canada). roadnoises@outlook.com.
Although it is fashionably late to the micro-crossover party — beaten here by rivals Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3, Nissan Juke, Chevrolet Trax — Toyota arrives well-dressed with the 2018 CH-R.
The CH-R is stylish and fundriving as compacts go, and it might be just the right blend of fashion-forward design without being so bold as to be trendy.
It’s a front-engine, front-drive crossover powered by a 2.0-litre, normally aspirated (as in no turbocharger or supercharger) four-cylinder rated at 144 horsepower and 139 pound-feet of torque.
What’s odd about Toyota’s thought process here is no allwheel-drive version is available. While I will be the first to argue most people don’t really need all-wheel drive and would be better off spending that money on winter tires, knowing the demands of the market, it seems an all-wheeler would be a smart marketing move.
There were a few times when the front wheels spinning sang out for some rear-wheel traction, but on the other hand, not having all-wheel drive reminds you it’s slippery.
I’m convinced many of the incidents involving all- and fourwheel-drive vehicles happen because their traction on acceleration has lulled the drivers into a false sense of security.
All-wheel drive is handy, but it doesn’t help you stop nor steer.
The other engineering decisions on this vehicle are all firstrate, however. The MacPherson strut suspension up front and double-wishbone independent rear make it a fun car to toss around, and the electronic funkiller . . . I mean stability control . . . is programmed to not kill the
fun entirely.
I enjoyed being able to start a turn in the snow with just a bit of steering input and then letting the tail come around merely by lifting off the throttle.
The engine is mated to a continuously variable transmission, which in our market might be the first non-hybrid application of a CVT by Toyota. It allows the CH-R to have some decent fuel economy without other drastic measures such as a tiny engine and a turbocharger. The city/highway/combined official numbers are 8.7 / 7.5 / 8.2 in litres per 100 kilometres.
Mine were a bit higher, due primarily to wheel spin: I averaged 10 litres per 100 km.
Whether you love or hate continuously variable transmissions, there’s no denying the programming of the CH-R’s offers smooth, sprightly acceleration. So smooth, in fact, it could be costly.
Because CVTs achieve efficiency by maintaining engine speed at the optimum spot on the torque curve for the demands of the moment, the engine accelerates to a certain
spot around 3,000 r.p.m. and then stays there. The transmission then does all the work of increasing speed by continuously varying the gear ratio until you get to the speed you want.
What that means is the vehicle will often sound slower than it is: several times during my week I thought I was doing a reasonably legal speed — until I looked down and saw 80 km/h on the speedo and 60 km/h on the sign.
What’s unclear in my mind is whether that is merely a product of a short time with the vehicle and drivers are likely to get accustomed to it and modify their habits accordingly.
The styling inside the CH-R might be some of Toyota’s best work. Even though the sound system is a standard double-DIN box with a distinctly aftermarket feel, it’s worked into the dash to appear to be part of a floating panel not unlike the CX-3’s or even some Mercedes models.
The heating controls are worked into an accent strip that breaks up the dash with just enough flair and without cliché devices such as woodgrain or embossed aluminum.
Heated front seats are standard, as is Toyota’s Safety Sense, which includes pre-collision with pedestrian detection, lanedeparture alert with steering assist, dynamic radar cruise control and automatic highbeam.
The XLE premium package, which was on the tester, includes 18-in. aluminum alloy wheels, push-button start, smart key system, blind spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert and power-folding side mirrors with puddle lamps. The CH-R pricing starts at the XLE model at $24,690, while the XLE Premium is $26,290.
Freight is $1,785, and prices do not include the $100 airconditioning tax or the $18.75 tire levy.
The CH-R is a competitive entry into the growing subcompact crossover category, and it beats Chevy Trax in a few key areas: it has a smidge more cargo room behind the rear seats and its EnerGuide fuel economy estimates are superior.
Whether the lack of all-wheel drive keeps it off some drivers’ radars remains to be seen.