In response to Honda’s Vezel and Suzuki’s Vitara, which have took over the competitive market of SUVs in Pakistan, Toyota has responded with its latest vehicle, the Toyota C-HR.
The acronym C-HR stands for Coupe-High Rider.
Previously, Pakwheels reported that the booking process of Toyota C-HR has started in Japan. They also added that a number of people from Pakistan have already pre-booked their Toyota’s C-HR and their vehicles are expected to be delivered in first quarter of 2017.
The Toyota C-HR was introduced back in 2016 and is being offered in four variants:
- C-HR HV G (Hybrid)
- C-HR HV S (Hybrid)
- C-HR GT (AWD)
- C-HR ST (AWD)
We take a look at the newest entrant to the Pakistani auto scene.
Exterior
The C-HR’s design looks like an amalgamation of the Corolla Altis and the Vezel. This is evident from the front which looks strikingly similar to the Altis especially the headlights. The bottom grille however differentiates the two.
Comparing the Honda Vezel with this car, the differences become more apparent with the C-HR being longer, wider and lower than its competitor.
From the side the tail lights look somewhat similar to the 2016 Honda Civic’s taillights, with the curved “bracket-like” look. What stands out in C-HR’s case is the odd positioning of the rear door handle which is conveniently hidden in the C-pillar of the car.
From the back the C-HR gives off a mixed vibe with a sporty but station wagon-like look.
Interior
The interior looks fairly trendy with a nice little blue accent running along the sides and the dashboard. The dashboard uses soft touch plastic with a diamond pattern used on the seats and the door sides.
The steering wheel offers a multitude of controls with a 7 inch touch screen and comes with satellite navigation. You get climate and cruise control options as well with a bunch of other features.
Other features include automatic lights and wipers, an auto dimming rear view mirror, keyless entry, heated seats, self parking and power fold mirrors.
One more thing worth noting here is the JBL sound system in the C-HR. The car has a 8-channel 576 watt stereo amp with 9 speakers.
The passenger compartment looks a little cramped partly due to the thick C-pillars and small rear windows. There is plenty of legroom however.
Moving towards the rear of the car there is plenty of storage space in the trunk which can be increased further thanks to fold-able rear seats:
Other main features of Toyota C-HR include:
Safety Controls
Toyota C-HR comes with the standard suite of safety options including adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and pedestrian detection.
As usual, 7 SRS airbags and stability control is also present.
Performance and Engine
Toyota is set to offer two engines in the C-HR model:
- the 1.8-litre petrol/electric hybrid from Prius,
- the 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine, which was first witnessed in Auris hatchback.
As reported by the company, the hybrid version accounts for 75 percent of all C-HR sales and it is expected to be the preference in Pakistan as well.
The petrol/electric hybrid is a front-wheel drive only whereas the 1.2-litre turbo petrol comes in two or four-wheel drive options. Moreover, the former has options of six-speed manual or CVT gearbox, while the latter is CVT only.
Complete specification are mentioned at the end of the article
Rest assured, whichever variant the consumer opts for, it will provide decent practicality and overall quality.
Toyota C-HR is powered by the same TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) as the latest Prius, which ensures agility and nimble handling.
Similar to rest of the petrol/electric hybrid models, C-HR claims to be rather efficienr in terms of mileage. It offers less slippery aerodynamics. However they are still not comparable to Prius’ economy and C02 emissions, but Toyota’s claims of 74.3mpg and 87g/km put it ahead of traditional diesel rivals.
The 1.2-litre petrol version is somewhat disappointing. It does not fare well when compared to similar units in rival machines. According to an AutoExpress analyst:
The two-wheel drive CVT model claims the greatest efficiency, with figures of 134g/km and 47.9mpg. The manual car matches this fuel economy when fitted with the smaller 17-inch alloys, but emits 135g/km.
The 1.2-litre engine packs 116bhp and 185Nm of torque, offering Toyota C-HR smoother and brisk acceleration.
Specifications and Pricing
As reported by Pakwheels back in February, the estimated price of Toyota C-HR is expected to be around 4.2 to 4.6 million rupees. They also report that the cost can rise, as the C-HR comes with additional options, as well as due to exchange rate fluctuations.
Why don’t you just rename the site to ProWheels?
Toyota C-HR cannot compete, because it is stupidly expensive in Pakistan after taxes and import duty.
Exactly, I was thinking the same.
And the price could be…….
46 lacs.
Don’t fall for these scam artists. B-Rv is the way to go for Small SUV’s. This trimmed down version of RAV-4 ain’t gonna be a bang for buck.