Toyota's 4th hybrid powertrain
Hertz Car pool has expanded its car fleet with five brand new C-HRs. It gave me a great opportunity to run some errands in Oslo. When I picked up "my" C-HR, it was parked alongside an Auris. Two cars of the same brand and class - but completely different shapes. Behind the wheel of the C-HR, I immediately felt familiar with the instruments. They are actually taken from Auris. I would assume that the two models share many more components than dashboards, but luckily they don't hybrid solution. The C-HR has received a newer version – Toyota's 4th hybrid – the same as the new Corolla. It has already been in the Prius for a few years and can be considered very well-proven.
Robust interior
The interior is more robust than stylish, so to speak. Leather and alcantara always work. The high seating position gives both a good overview and the feeling of a big car. It felt unfamiliar every time I turned my head to check the blind spot. At an angle to the rear, visibility is poor to say the least - only a wall of dark hard plastic. The dark headliner is fine for an Urban Cruiser, but helps to make the space in the back seat dark and gloomy, but the space is better utilized than it appears at first glance. I think it seems cheap with so much hard plastic in the rear seat's head height, but it fits into the car's robust feel.
The C-HR looks like it is earmarked for an active life in the urban jungle. Too bad Toyota didn't continue the nice name "Urban Cruiser". It would have suited the C-HR well.
Street art in Oslo
It is obvious that the design takes priority form, not space. There is certainly more space in the old Auris, but the "Cruiser" looks very good, especially in profile. It's about lifestyle and personality - which you find in cars like the Jeep Wrangler or something like that. At the top of Hausmannsgate, I wanted to stop by Brenneriveien - on the underside of Vulkan. There, an alley leads over to lower Grünerløkka, which is worth visiting. It is close to Hausmania – center for underground culture. The area is known, among other things, for its street art. So famous, in fact, that tourists come here to see and take pictures. This is a place where an Urban Cruiser fits in well. The C-HR looked like it belonged here.
Best when you take it easy
The hybrid drive system in the C-HR is less fussy than the previous hybrid generation, which is in the Auris. The gearbox still lets the revs rise too high when you step on the gas - so that you get the feeling that the drivetrain is not connected to the wheels. I noticed that the C-HR has a lower noise level than the new Corolla - which has the same engine. The C-HR makes less noise from the road, but the engine is more audible and buzzes badly, especially when you press the gas a little hard. The car runs absolutely best when you glide calmly through the city and use the tricks that save fuel. Those who follow my car reviews know that I am not very enthusiastic about the CVT gearbox in Toyota's hybrid cars. I think they can easily become too fussy. In quiet city driving, however, they work well. So good that I often choose the hybrid Toyota when I have to run errands in the city. I'm guessing that many of the city's taxi drivers agree with me.
The reward for taking it easy quickly became apparent on the trip computer. After 55 kilometers on a Saturday around the center of Oslo - including a trip out to Sandvika - the consumption meter ended up at 0,39 liters per mile. It had then fluctuated between 0,37 and 0,40.
consumption
According to Toyota, the so-called EU consumption is 0,38. The EU consumption is calculated based on a driving pattern that cannot easily be reproduced in traffic. But, here I had cruised around the city just like usual - and ended up on the factory's stated EU consumption. Toyota says its fourth hybrid powertrain runs on electricity half the time. I think the engine is engaged more than that so, but the fuel consumption measured on the trip computer shows that Toyota is right. The last time I drove the same drivetrain was in a new Corolla. Then I ended up at 0,35 liters per mile from Skarnes to Oslo in Sunday weekend traffic. The C-HR will probably end up in the same situation, if you follow the traffic without stressing. When I picked up the car, the average consumption in the trip computer was 0,51 after the previous driver. Not bad either.
2020 facelift
Vigilant readers can see that "my" C-HR does not have the facelift that came in the autumn, more precisely on cars manufactured from 1 October 2019. Toyota has carried out a mild "clean-up" in the front. A black bumper integrated into the grill gives the front more character - although you have to be a bit of a "geek" to notice it. Furthermore, the headlights have been replaced, and the fog lights have been moved out of the grill and placed in the air intakes on the side.
Inside, the infotainment screen has been changed. It is only the screen itself that has been changed, not the somewhat heavy framing. Now the C-HR has the same screen as the new Corolla. It must be possible to connect to Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa. Last but not least, the C-HR is also offered with Toyota's new 2-litre hybrid solution. The petrol engine produces 152 HP and the electric motor 109 HP, which together can produce 184 HP. Today's drivetrain lives on. It is based on a 1,8-litre petrol engine with 98 HP and an electric motor with 72 HP, - together they can produce a maximum of 122 HP. Bearing in mind that the 2-litre costs NOK 35 more, I would stick with the original drivetrain. It fits the C-HR perfectly. But maintained, the C-HR can withstand more forces.
Place
The C-HR is based on the Corolla, with the same wheelbase as the 5-door version. The upright seating position provides relatively good space in the cabin. Don't be put off by the fact that it looks cramped in the back seat. There is quite alright legroom there, but not particularly high under the roof, - although it works fine for me. The trunk holds 377 litres. The Toyota Corolla 5-door holds, by comparison, 361 litres. The Nissan Qashqai takes 430 litres. It also has a higher loading height up to the rear window. In terms of size, the C-HR fits well as the Urban Cruiser - but not as well family car. Then I would rather recommend a new Corolla station wagon with the same drivetrain, same performance and consumption as the C-HR. Only much more luggage space (595 litres).
Security
Euro NCAP tested the Toyota C-HR in 2017. The report pointed out no negative aspects in the ordinary crash tests. The C-HR scored the maximum for side collisions against a pole. Automatic emergency stop worked well. In tests with children in different child seats, the 10-year-old suffered neck injuries and the 6-year-old suffered chest injuries in an offside frontal collision. The damage was classified as "marginal" according to the following scale: "Good", "Adequate", "Marginal", "Weak" and "Poor". Like the adults, the children also coped well in side-to-side pole collisions.
Total points were 5/5 stars with 95% for adult passengers and 77% for children. In comparison, the brand new Nissan Juke, tested in December 2019, also received 5 stars with 94% for adults and 85% for children.
Euro NCAP: 2017 Toyota C-HR
Conclusion
The C-HR fits well as an Urban Cruiser. It takes you past plowed edges, water leaks and temporary roadworks. It fits just as well in Montebello as it does in Greenland. It is tough, robust and reliable. It is not a distinctive family car, nor a typical youth car. It is well suited to a young, working couple or adults with children out of the nest.
The C-HR would be even better suited as an Urban Cruiser if it had 4-wheel drive. Unfortunately cannot the selected together with hybrid. If I had to choose between hybrid and 4-wheel drive, I would choose hybrid. First and foremost because of the price, secondly because of the favorable fuel consumption.
"No more boring cars!" - Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota Motor Corporation.
Toyota C-HR – Facts
Drivetrain
Engine 1: Petrol engine 1,8 liter VVT-i 98 HP
Motor 2: Electric motor 72 HP
Total power of both engines: 122 HP
Torque: 142 Nm at 3600 revolutions
Gearbox: Stepless CVT
Performances
Top speed: 170 km/h
0-100: 11,0 seconds
Weights and Measures
Length, width and height in cm: 439 / 180 / 155
Wheelbase in cm: 264
Net weight without driver: 1420 kg
Luggage compartment: 377 litres
– with folded seats: 1164 litres
Petrol tank: 43 litres
Max trailer weight with brakes: 725 kg
– without brakes: 725 kg
consumption
Factory figures mixed (WLTP): 0,48-0,49 liters per mile
Factory number (EU): 0,38 liters per mile
Own measurement city: 0,38-0,40 liters per mile
Tires
Nokian Hakkapelitta R3 (Studless winter)
Prices
Toyota C-HR 1,8 Hybrid Lounge Tech Bitone Alcantara: NOK 390 (mentioned car)
Toyota C-HR 2,0 Hybrid Lounge Tech Bitone Alcantara: NOK 425
Toyota C-HR 1,8 Hybrid Active: NOK 331 (cheapest option)
Toyota C-HR 1,2 Turbo FTS AWD Active: NOK 429 (500-wheel drive)
Paint supplement: NOK 5 (Bi-tone Black/Metalstream metallic)
About the car
Model: 2020
Place of production: Sakarya, Turkey
Mileage: 2780
Km driven: 55
Owner: Herz Car Pool
Source: toyota.no
Euro NCAP: 2017 Toyota C-HR
Pictures
See
