Overview

The C-HR is a family SUV that looks every inch a fashionable contemporary piece of design, and certainly not like Toyota models of old. Its rivals are quite varied because it’s compact inside, but has premium aspirations in terms of look, feel and price.

When we made it our Car of The Year in 2018, we wouldn’t have predicted just how much of a trend-setter the C-HR would be. Powered by a range of super-economical hybrid engines and featuring a dramatic coupe-style roofline, it’s the template for the most popular family cars on the market today.

Don’t believe us? Check out the Volkswagen Taigo, Renault Arkana and Citroen C4 to see what we mean. Other family SUVs that are likely to be on the potential C-HR buyer’s shopping list should be the Nissan Juke, Ford Puma as well as the more conventional looking Nissan Qashqai and Skoda Karoq.

If you’re looking for a C-HR, there are four trim levels to choose from. Icon is the cheapest, but still comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Design adds 18-inch wheels (rather than the 17-inch ones on the Icon) and heated seats, while Excel comes with a different set of 18-inch wheels and added tech stuff, like a blindspot monitoring system.

GR Sport is the sportiest looking one. But it’s not a hot-hatch in any material sense of the word. It still comes with the same engine selection but adds 19-inch wheels, tinted headlights, and more GR Sport badges than are strictly necessary.

Over the next few pages we’ll review each aspect of the Toyota C-HR, taking into account its practicality, technology, running costs and driving experience, before offering our final verdict on the car.