Toyota C-HR 1.2 Luxury Auto - Everyday sex-appeal

By Ané Theron

When the CH-R was chosen as a finalist for the 2018 SA Car of the Year competition, I was delighted, but I knew why it wasn't going to win: It needed some form of rear-park distance control or rear-view cameras to negate the blind spot those thick C-pillars created. With the recent upgrade, Toyota has taken care of this issue. Is the new C-HR Luxury completely perfect, then?

 

Styling

When the C-HR launched in 2017, people loved Toyota's newfound groove, and trendy urbanites flocked to Toyota dealerships to buy what is essentially the best of both worlds: A maneuverable city hatchback with serious sidewalk-climbing capabilities.

It certainly didn't look like a Toyota with its ultra-modern concept-car styling and eye-catching range of colours, but this serves to give the C-HR the street-cred it deserves.

For 2018/19, the new Luxury flagship model is endowed with a two-tone colour scheme that creates a floating-roof effect. LED headlamps as well as LED front fog lamps have also been added, as well as heated, auto-folding side mirrors. Around the back, the 3D-effect tailllamps have a smoky effect, just like the fashionable 'Ombré' hair colour, that many urban ladies seem to favour these days.

On the inside, the flowing, minimalistic dashboard layout remains, with a central touchscreen (one of the user-friendliest in the business), angled towards the driver. All C-HRs come equipped with satnav, Apple CarPlay and Miracast and Auto + Show (Android) as well as a rearview camera. The mid-tier C-HR Plus & Luxury models and upwards also have cruise control.

There's no need to turn a key in the ignition either, as the Luxury version has a push-button start. Comfy leather seats are standard fare and the front seats have a heating function. All in all, the C-HR's serene and fresh interior is one of my favourites in the compact SUV/Crossover segment. Details like piano-black inserts that sparkle like multicolored diamond dust in the sunlight adds just the right amount of pizazz, without being over-the-top. I spent quite a bit of time sitting inside the C-HR in my driveway, making important phone calls via the Bluetooth in the plush cabin, rather than stepping into my office at home!

Space & comfort

Toyota's done a good job of carving out ample space for the front and rear-passengers. The boot isn't huge, and will struggle to accommodate 4 persons' holiday luggage if it's going to be a lengthy stay. The high belt-line the rear windows, largely due to the C-HR's coupé shape, means that younger occupants may not have the greatest view to the outside, and for the first time, Junior may actually be quite content to sit in his booster seat if it means he gets to see more than just the telephone poles flashing past.

As for new comfort features, the Luxury model comes equipped with self-parking tech namely Intelligent Park assist (with rear sonar), which means that stressing over scratching those handsome 18-inch alloy rims or looking like a fool when you don't ace that parallel parking spot, is over. Rather leave it to someone more competent: the car!

Safety

Given SA's high road-death statistics, Toyota knows that many young families put safety features at the top of their lists, and they've catered to this need. The C-HR Luxury gets dual front airbags with side bags, as well as curtain airbags that stretch all the way to the rear. The driver has a knee bag as well. The C-HR has ABS and EBD with brake assist and VSC (vehicle stability control). All the other C-HRs get two airbags each.

The Drive

The way that the CH-R feels both on- and off-road is one of its strengths, as illustrated around the track at Kyalami on the SA COTY test days gone past. It has remarkable grip and road-holding for such a high-riding crossover (let's be honest, it's more hatch than it is SUV) and no body roll to speak of. It's also adept at flying over speed bumps with minimal interference to occupants' comfort levels. Give it a badass gravel road any time of the day, too.

Toyota's automatic C-HR's come equipped with an ultra-refined CVT gearbox, which is surprisingly quiet, compared to the Honda CR-V's, for example. If you step on the accelerator hard, some noise will permeate the cabin of the C-HR, but this is completely normal for any continuous variable transmission 'box. The cabin is quiet and generally well-insulated from wind/engine- and road noise.

Gearshift paddles mounted on the steering wheel increase the driving fun-factor.

Performance

The engine is compact and you shouldn't be expecting fireworks, so I wouldn't recommend driving it like a Ford Focus ST. With 85kW/185Nm on tap, the C-HR has sufficient power when you really need it, especially at the coast. But drive it too hard, and you'll quickly see your fuel consumption figures rise. If you are used to a relatively powerful engine, the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine may seem a little sluggish at first, but you have the option of Eco, Normal, and Sport modes to make things a little more interesting.

For the size and weight of the C-HR, I wouldn't exactly call the engine 'tardy' in any way - this unit is one of the best examples of how nippy a downsized engine can be. It took me a while to convince my friend, currently in the market for a compact crossover, that a properly-turbo’ed-up 1.2-litre is capable of being a very competent mid-distance athlete, more-or-less equal in output to a naturally-aspirated 1.6. Perhaps there are many more members of the car-buying public who are still under the impression that a 1.2-litre turbocharged engine will be too weak? This perception needs to be changed.

Fuel consumption

Toyota's claimed figure of 6.4 litres per 100 km is quite accurate, if you drive sensibly. In traffic our consumption increased to around 8 l/100 km, which is not at all bad. As I previously mentioned, this isn’t a hot hatch and a heavy foot will cost you much more in petrol money, in the long run. On average, you’ll be able to drive around 650 km before running on empty. And if you're an aggressive driver, you'll need to change your ways!

Pricing

The flagship Luxury model, as tested, is R426 300 but it includes oodles of comfort and convenience spec, as mentioned above. Other cars in this segment and price range include the Suzuki Vitara, Nissan Qashqai and Renult Captur, as well as the Ford EcoSport, the Hyundai Creta and all-new Kona https://www.autotrader.co.za/car-news/hyundai/kona/2259b6b1-09c7-486d-8e98-8fc34b1eaf4d-first-drive-impression%3A-kona-adds-youthful-appeal-to-hyundai’s-suv-range. The Mazda CX-3 is also a stylish, value-packed alternative. Then there's also the new Renault Duster which is light years better than the outgoing one, loaded with spec and tech...

Verdict

The C-HR is one of my favourite compact city-SUVs of the moment, so be sure to also read Top 3 city cars for comfort lovers.