It’s nice when one has the oppourtunity to compare different spec levels of the same car. Such was the case with the new Toyota C-HR. Recently it was the GX and then it was time for the Limited to get the same treatment.
The C-HR has been a bit of a success story for Toyota since the first generation made everyone sit up and take notice thanks to its quirky styling cues and its “suv-come-coupe” stance. It has remained more or less largely unchanged apart from a few tech upgrades and stylistic tweaks. Now into its second generation, the C-HR has been completely overhauled, with new power units and an entirely new look.
The European built C-HR sports a comprehensive line-up. As mentioned previous, the GX starts the ball rolling at $45,990 TDP (Toyota Driveaway Price), then the GXL comes in at $49,990 TDP and then my Limited at $52,990. Forking out an extra $1000 gives your Limited a two-tone colour paint scheme known by Toyota as “Two Tone Plus.” Want your C-HR with a bit more sporting pizzazz? The flagship C-HR GR Sport will set you back $55,990 and $56,990 for the two-tone option.
Like I found with the GX, the C-HR Limited gets the same 1.8L four cylinder petrol engine coupled to a hybrid battery system. There is no longer a solely petrol set up for the C-HR, it’s either hybrid or nothing. Combined power sits at 103kW and 142Nm of torque, a 15 per cent rise over the first generation C-HR. Combined fuel consumption sits at 4.4L/100km and 98g/km of claimed carbon emissions. On another note, the only C-HR with a larger power unit is the 2.0L HEV unit with E-Four AWD found in the C-HR GR Sport.
The striking styling goes one step further with the latest C-HR. Lots of angles, curves and C-shaped LED headlights give the newcomer a stance which is still unique and follows the current Toyota design language to a tee. As I found with the GX, you can see plenty of nods to the all-electric bZX4.
The rear full-width light bar is one of my favourite parts of the whole design and I love how the C-HR emblem lights up. The flush door handles also are a nice touch. Being the Limited, you get larger 19-inch alloys and chrome accents fore and aft. With these extra visual niceties, the Limited certainly has the upper hand over the GX. Love that rear spoiler too.
Inside you have a totally revamped interior, one that continues the theme of angles and edgy looking details. It is more capacious too with extra head and legroom. This is largely down to the C-HR being much longer and wider than the model it replaces. Toyota are also happy to point out the new C-HR is made of double the recycled materials over the previous generation too.
As well as features like Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Sat Nav and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, the Limited gives you extra in-car goodies like accented leather seats, of which are heated and ventilated, heated steering wheel, digital rear view mirror, power tailgate, panoramic roof and a head up display.
Now those that know me will know how much I am fond of a good in car audio and another incentive for upgrading to the C-HR Limited, is you get the JBL 9-speaker premium audio system. I think JBL is one of the most underrated systems out there and it does a darn fine job of giving Robert Plant the justice he deserves through those nine speakers.
Like the GX, the Limited makes full use of Toyota’s revamped Safety Sense system, with the Pre-Collision system now able to detect motorcycles. Along with the regular adaptive cruise, cornering assist, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, reversing camera and lane tracing assist, you also now have a new driver monitoring system which sings out if your eyes stray away from the road ahead for too long.
Opening the boot reveals 440L of boot space. Loading and easy and despite not having the lowest boot floor, loading and unloading bits and bobs is a doddle.
My time with the C-HR Limited was a mix of commuting and a couple of open road runs in the Canterbury High Country, the latter you can probably tell by the photos. Anyway, much like the GX, the Limited’s hybrid system seamlessly transitions from petrol assistance to electric-only mode better than many of its rivals.
Also, much like the GX, the Limited still has the same average rear visibility due to its sloping coupe lines. Another bugbear as I found with the GX was that aforementioned driver monitoring system, which likes to go off when you take your eyes off the road for what seems like the merest of moments. Happily this can be deactivated.
Around town , the C-HR doesn’t put a foot wrong, but on one of those involved jaunts out to Eyrewell Forest and the Canterbury high country revealed the C-HR Limited is more than able to shift along and serve up a spirited, yet relaxing drive. In Sport mode, the steering weights up nicely and the combo of electric oomph and petrol power coming together in seamless harmony results in a urban SUV which feels quite perky and eager to move.
Having now driven the GX and Limited versions back to back, if it were my money, I would spend the extra $8,000 and get the Limited, purely for that sound system and the extra niceties which will make the daily commute feel just the little bit more refined.
Regardless of which spec you go for, you are still getting a very well-rounded SUV and one which takes the best of what made the original C-HR a winner and brings it up more than a few notches. This second album for Toyota’s striking and quirky urban SUV is certainly well worthy of being added to the shortlist of any potential buyer.
RATING: 8/10
