Toyota C-HR
With the striking new C-HR crossover, Toyota shifts its own goalposts
The Toyota C-HR is not only signi cant because it’s Toyota’s challenger in the highly lucrative C-crossover segment (one of the few growing segments in the market), but also because it embodies the company’s newfound determination to allow greater stylistic freedom and promote engineering creativity. It embodies the “change” that Toyota promised to regain its position as the world’s largest volume auto manufacturer.
The C-HR (Coupé High-rider) has been designed to stand out from the crowd, both within the current Toyota line-up and in its segment. Its coupé-like styling does not only herald a new design direction for its segment, but also for the entire company. With it, Toyota targets customers who may be new to the brand.
The C-HR must win over customers who demand individuality and who want to try new things. These customers prefer style and demand quality, and consider their wheels to be an extension of their personalities. This alone poses great design challenges.
However, by adopting a new, exible platform (Toyota New Global Architecture, TNGA) has given Toyota the ability to focus and excel at three key areas: design, performance and dynamics. It is striking, attractive, capable, versatile, dynamic and frugal. It ticks all of these boxes and delivers a fresh take on the increasingly commoditised crossover segment.
HEY THERE, GOOD-LOOKING The C-HR introduces distinctive styling that is a striking blend of SUV and coupé, and is certain to differentiate it in the highly competitive crossover segment. The design concept is described as “Sensual Speed-cross” and features a diamond theme with stark wheelarches, crisp creases, low body and raised ground clearance. It strikes a balance between aggression, precision and fluidity.
The rising shoulder line that cuts through the front and rear lights emphasises dynamism and the body appears very coupé-like, but the raised ride height lends the C-HR a powerful stance. CABIN FEVER The interior of the C-HR also represents a departure for Toyota.
Its concept is “Sensual Tech”, which aims to seamlessly combine high-tech functionality with striking style. The cabin is airy and spacious, yet driver-focused and intimate thanks to the use of dark colours (and a piano-black dashboard). The lines are stark and crisp, but also owing and sensual. The low dashboard increases visibility and adds to the commanding seating position.
Toyota was aware that C-HR customers will also have premium competitors on their shopping lists, and this required the earliest involvement of Toyota’s European SQ team in the design process. The team focused painstakingly on component quality, and the consistency of grain, texture, shape, colour and illumination in every element, even the stitch groove radii of the seats.
An example of the level of detail and care a orded the interior is the unique new twotiered front seat design that combines a slender, sporting upper section with a more strongly bolstered and supportive lower area, thus contributing to both the comfort and style of the C-HR cabin. 1,2T ENGINE: INTELLIGENT, POWERFUL AND FRUGAL The Toyota C-HR is available with a new 1,2-litre turbopetrol engine, which debuted in the Auris overseas. It uses advanced technologies that allow the engine to change from the Otto cycle to the Atkinson cycle under low loads, has vertical vortex hightumble air- ow intake ports, an
exhaust manifold integrated in the cylinder head and advanced heat management. To this, it adds a direct-injection system, as well as a watercooled turbo and heat exchanger. Furthermore, the VVT-I (Variable Valve Timing-intelligent) system known from the Aygo and Yaris 1,0-litre engine is upgraded to a VVT-IW (Variable Valve Timing-intelligent Wide) system, which allows even more exibility in the valve timing.
This lends the C-HR outstanding performance and e ciency. The engine delivers 85 kw between 5 200 and 5 600 r/min and 185 N.m of torque between 1 500 and 4 000 r/min. It will push the C-HR from 0 to 100 km/h in 10,9 seconds, and the top speed is 190 km/h. According to Toyota’s global speci cations, it generates CO emissions from 125 g/km and returns a combined fuel consumption from 5,5 L/100 km. It can be mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a CVT.
For the rst time, a new system called Intelligent Manual Transmission is tted to the C-HR. Similar to a heel/toe technique used by racing drivers, the system automatically increases the engine revs when downshifting and ensures smooth gear shifts. When up-shifting, the system
reduces clutch shock in order to improve comfort for driver and passengers. Furthermore, a smooth start is ensured and the risk of stalling is almost impossible (good news for all the learner drivers out there). LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL The development of the C-HR chassis was undertaken by chief engineer Hiroyuki Koba. Koba knew that the success of the C-HR depended on its ability to appeal to drivers, especially European ones. He travelled thousands of kilometres along European roads to better understand the way that people there use their vehicles.
“I noticed that Europeans have a uid driving style, based on acute observation of tra c,” said Koba. “They avoid obstacles by adapting trajectory and speed in order to maintain e cient progress, while elsewhere in the world drivers prefer to stop. We worked with our European team on all aspects of the vehicle and we wanted dynamic performance on a par with a C-segment hatchback.”
The design vision for the C-HR is Response, Linearity and Consistency: Response requires that the car needs to react immediately to any driver input;
Linearity means that the response must be gradual and aligned with driver input; Consistency requires the car’s response to be predictable, no matter the speed or circumstances.
“It is my belief that by ensuring these three elements, the car can inspire true con dence, making every drive more fun,” concluded Koba.
The GA-C platform on which the C-HR is built provides an excellent starting point to achieve these goals. To ensure precision, a Macpherson strut front suspension was designed speci cally for the C-HR, which includes a strut bearing rotation axis to reduce steering friction and promote smooth and accurate steering. At the rear, the C-HR uses a double wishbone suspension system which has been modi ed to meet Koba’s demands in terms of controllability, stability and ride comfort.
The steering system has been designed to be perfectly linear which, together with a limited rolling motion, gives the C-HR remarkable driving precision for a crossover. According to Toyota, the C-HR remains remarkably composed and accurate, adding to the con dence and joy of driving.