2017 Toyota C-HR new car review

The biggest name in town has entered the smallest fight.

Toyota is a latecomer to the rapidly expanding city-sized SUV segment but has a made a bold entry with its all-new C-HR.

The Japanese brand is working hard to shrug off its 'whitegoods on wheels' reputation with some more dramatic designs and engaging cars. The C-HR certainly lives up to the theatrical design brief with what even Toyota calls a "daringly styled" SUV.

No matter if you like or loathe its looks, the big question is whether the C-HR is good enough to knock-off the established class leaders, such as the Mazda CX-3, Honda HR-V and Mitsubishi ASX?

What do you get?

Toyota has kept the C-HR range simple with only two models, the plain front-drive C-HR and the higher-grade, auto-only Koba.

The range starts with the front-wheel drive, six-speed manual equipped model priced from $26,990. Upgrading to the CVT automatic adds $2000 and the same amount again for all-wheel drive. So the C-HR we're testing here starts at $30,990 plus on-road costs.

The Koba is only available with the CVT in two-wheel drive configuration priced from $33,290 and the four-wheel drive tops the range with its $35,290 asking price.

That pricing puts the C-HR at the higher end of the segment against Mazda, which offers a CX-3 from $19,990, while the cheapest Honda HR-V is $24,990 and includes an auto. But Toyota has equipped both models well.

Standard gear on all models includes dual-zone air-conditioning, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, navigation with live traffic, a six-speaker sound system with Toyota's smartphone connection, a 6.1-inch display screen, CD player, USB and AUX inputs, Bluetooth and 'C-HR' puddle lights.

Also included is a comprehensive suite of safety features including seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, active cruise control, lane departure warning with steering assist and blind spot monitoring.

On top of that equipment the Koba adds 18-inch alloys (up from 17s), keyless entry and ignition, LED headlights and taillights, leather-accented heated seats and Nano-e air purifying.

Notably absent is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, which may be a turnoff to younger buyers who prioritise smartphone connectivity.

The C-HR is the first Toyota to be covered by the brand's new five-year capped price servicing program (up from three years). It is also the first to get 12 month/15,000km service intervals, instead of six month visits. Each service is capped at $195 so over the first three years you can expect to pay $585 for maintenance, which is impressively low for this segment of the market.

What's inside?

The funky design of the exterior carries over to the interior. The cabin is driver focused with the navigation screen and air-conditioning controls angled towards the driver's side. The layout is easy to use and well finished.

There is a nice mix of materials that all look good and feel top quality, including a unique diamond pattern on the door trims that adds to the funky character of the C-HR.

But the stylish design seems to have come at the expense of storage space. Aside from a decent-sized centre console box, a pair of cupholders and a small ledge there isn't anywhere to safely pop your phone, wallet or other small items.

Passenger space is surprisingly good in both the front and rear though. The tapered rear end looks like it would be tight but there is adequate space in the rear for two adults to sit. Even at over 180cm tall I was able to sit comfortably behind the driver's seat in my regular position with good knee, toe and head room.

Having said that, children may not be as happy in the back as the window line sweeps sharply upwards meaning shorter kids won't be able to see out the window. The design also creates a large, over-the-shoulder blind spot for the driver.

Another criticism of the cabin is I could not get my driver's position exactly how I like it because the driver's seat is mounted quite high. While that gives better visibility, which is desirable to many SUV drivers, personally I would like to sit lower so taller drivers may not be perfectly comfortable.

The boot has a relatively high floor, level with the tailgate opening, in order to fit a space saver spare but Toyota still claims 377-litres of luggage room.

Under the bonnet

Toyota has introduced a new engine to Australia in the C-HR, it's first small capacity, turbocharged engine designed for efficiency.

The 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol unit produces a modest 85kW of power and 185Nm of torque. But crucially peak torque is available from as low as 1500rpm, which means despite its relatively small output the C-HR gets off the mark well.

It quickly runs out of puff and certainly could do with more power for enthusiastic driving or out on the open road,  but for urban commuting the C-HR has enough grunt.

The six-speed manual is slick and features a rev-matching function on downshifts for smooth changes.

But the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) will be the most popular choice. It is one of the better examples of its kind, lacking the noisy flaring and initial slackness off the mark that is common with CVTs.

The combination of the small, turbo engine and CVT returns a solid fuel economy figure of 6.5-litres per 100km.

On the road

The C-HR is based on the appropriately named Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), which also underpins the new Prius. But rather than simply being a modular platform TNGA is also about the brand's focus on building cars that engage the driver.

Toyota claims the engineers working on the C-HR wanted to imbue it with a dynamic character with immediate response, linear character and predictable handling. While it doesn't set the new dynamic benchmark in this class it is a nice compact SUV to drive. The handling is linear and predictable with nicely weighted steering and good responsiveness.

The ride is nicely balanced between dynamic and comfort needs too. It feels composed and well mannered on the road, absorbing bumps well while remaining quick to react.

Verdict

Beneath the C-HR's daring exterior lies a true Toyota. It doesn't excel in any particular area but it scores consistently well across the board.

It is well packaged, offers up good value (even if it is missing a price leading model), is economical and genuinely nice to drive (not something usually associated with Toyota).

With Toyota's reputation for reliability and dependability, the C-HR has all the ingredients it needs to shake-up the established order in the baby SUV market.

2017 Toyota C-HR AWD pricing and specifications

Price: From $30,990 plus on-road costs

Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol

Power: 85kW at 5200-5600rpm

Torque: 185Nm at 1500-4000rpm

Transmission: CVT automatic, all-wheel drive

Fuel use: 6.5L/100km

The Competitors

Mazda CX-3 sTouring AWD

Price: From $30,990 plus on-road costs

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol

Power: 109kW at 6000rpm

Torque: 192Nm at 2800rpm

Transmission: Six-speed automatic, AWD

Fuel use: 6.7L/100km

Our score: 6.5/10

Honda HR-V VTi-L

Price: From $33,340 plus on-road costs

Engine: 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol

Power: 105kW at 6500rpm

Torque: 172Nm at 4300rpm

Transmission: CVT automatic, AWD

Fuel use: 6.9L/100km

Our score: 6/10

Suzuki Vitara S Turbo AWD

Price: From $34,990 drive-away

Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol

Power: 103kW at 5500rpm

Torque: 220Nm at 1500-4000rpm

Transmission: Six-speed automatic, AWD

Fuel use: 5.9L/100km

Our score: 7.5/10

• For more information, visit our Toyota showroom.