By Peter Hubbard


MotorwayAmerica.com

(March 27, 2018) In  2003-04, Toyota spent untold millions launching a new entry-level brand called Scion, specifically targeting young “hipster” Gen Y and Millennial customers with what they saw as edgy compacts and crossovers designed to lure them into Scion showrooms and turn them into loyal, lifelong Toyota/Lexus car buyers. So in an effort to appear “with it” and equally hip, Toyota used rather unconventional (for an automaker) guerrilla and viral Internet marketing campaign tactics.


While things went fairly well the first five years or so, sales and interest in the brand gradually faded as tastes of young buyers changed. Toyota made the decision to pull the plug on Scion in August 2016, despite having several products in the pipeline specifically aimed at younger buyers.



One of those product “leftovers,” if you will, is the new 2018 Toyota C-HR crossover. C-HR stands for “Coupe-High Rider,” but it’s actually neither. The body side is styled to look like a coupe, but since it’s a sub-compact crossover, certain compromises were forced on the designers.  As a result, they had few options behind the B-pillar and they were forced to make the rear windows small and far forward, with the rear door handles hidden in the C-pillar up near the roofline.  T

This may seem cool at first blush, but the location is inconvenient — especially for small children, the most likely back-seat occupants. And the C-HR is not particularly elevated, given the fact it sits just 2 inches taller than the entry-level Yaris sedan.



Slotted below the popular RAV-4 in the product line, this marks the company's first foray into the hotly contested subcompact-CUV segment. It’s designed specifically to compete with the likes of the Honda HR-V, the Nissan Juke, Kia Soul, and Jeep Compass among others. While the crisp, edgy arachnid-shaped styling says “Scion,” the badges on the car’s grille and butt are clearly Toyota’s.  So for all practical purposes, it carries an ambulant dual citizenship. 



While those suffering from arachnophobia are likely to run the other way, a certain segment of the market may actually be attracted to this unusual little crossover.  The front-wheel-drive C-HR brings unique styling, a roomy cabin, capable handling, and an impressive level of standard tech features and safety equipment. However, in order to achieve a lower price point, all-wheel drive and, more importantly, “infotainment” technology like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were left off the build sheets this year.

How well will this edgy little crossover play in its rookie season?  Only time will tell. 

Although it has some weaknesses, it’s not without its charms. Unique styling cues are a hallmark inside this little crossover, as well as on the outside. 

Toyota builds the C-HR using the same basic chassis and underpinnings as those found on the current generation Prius and new 2018 Camry.  As a result, interior head and legroom — for both front- and rear-seat passenger — is quite generous for this segment. In addition, the car’s supple suspension provides a comfortable, yet solid road-hugging ride.

There’s also the sub-$25,000 starting price that’s sure to please first-time buyers. 

The base Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the 2018 Toyota C-HR XLE model starts at $23,460. That gets you a nicely equipped subcompact crossover with plenty of standard safety and convenience features. However, if you want blind-spot monitoring, fog lights and keyless ignition, 4-wheel disc brakes and 18-inch tires you'll need to step up to the XLE Premium, which carries a sticker of $25,345, including freight.

Considering the XLE is equipped more like the mid-level models of its competitors, we think the prices are competitive against the likes of the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3 and especially the Kia Soul, which we suspect is the C-HR's strongest competitor. 

The only standalone option for the C-HR is the R-Code, which adds a white roof to certain colors of the subcompact SUV.

For more than the standard features, you need to step up to the XLE Premium, which adds 18-inch wheels and tires, nicer fabric on the seats, push-button ignition and keyless entry, fog lights, and puddle lights that project "Toyota C-HR" on the ground under the outside mirrors. The XLE Premium also gets blind-spot monitoring.

POWERTRAIN



As expected, there's only one engine for the C-HR. Under the hood is a brand new engine for Toyota, displacing 2.0 liters and delivering 144 horses routed to the front wheels and 139 lb-ft or torque. Thrust is routed through a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). 

Quite honestly, the C-HR struggles to respond well to the “go pedal.” 

The transmission can be moved into “Manual” mode, which fails to provide much improvement — and neither does the car’s “Sport” driving mode. Perhaps a more regular-style, gear-driven transmission would prove more willing acceleration.  However, the CVT fails to enhance forward thrust.

On the upside, fuel-economy projections are good with Toyota estimating an EPA highway rating of about 31 mpg and 27 mpg in the city.



Another reason for the sluggishness may be due to the fact the Toyota C-HR weighs in at 3,300 lbs, some 300 pounds heavier than the Mazda CX-3 – with all-wheel drive. How and why a vehicle this small weighs that much is a genuine mystery, but regardless of where it comes from, it’s too much weight to pull for this particular powertrain.



EXTERIOR

As already mentioned, the styling of the C-HR does not enjoy universal appeal.  Call it insect-like, sharp-edged, angular, or just weird, there's no shortage of opinions on the new C-HR’s exterior. The long, low-squinting headlights and angled roof, nose, doors and sharp-edged hood seem very closely related to the design of the even more outrageous new Prius. 

In the rear, a roof extension hovers over the rear glass, and the taillights project out from the bodywork, sure to be an expensive repair when they bump against a parking lot light pole and crack like a broken egg.

The style is also very color-dependent: In more neutral tones like gray and silver, the C-HR looks fairly good from most angles.  But our test car, clad in Toyota’s bright Blue Eclipse, stood out like a beat cop in a minority neighborhood.

INTERIOR



Interior styling on the Toyota C-HR is notably more subdued than the exterior, with the diamond-pattern styling storm outside reflected only on the dash, doors panels and headliner. The speedometer and tachometer are separated by a small color information screen, and a 7-inch, touch-screen infotainment system floats above the climate controls.

The cloth-covered manual front seats offer good comfort and support, and it was easy to find a good driving position.  But interiors come in just one color — black. 

The rear seats offer provide plenty of room, but the massive rear C-pillars are so wide that back-seat passengers have to lean forward to look outs. So kids won’t be able to see outside, because like many other coupes, the rear-side windows are tiny, up high, and are positioned forward of the rear seat, creating a rather dark cave-like environment in back.



While prices for the 2018 Toyota C-HR XLE start a bit higher than its competitors, it compensates with a generous amount of standard equipment. There are auto up-down windows on all four positions, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system with Bluetooth and USB inputs, and even an auto-dimming rearview mirror. 

The electronic parking brake includes a brake-hold feature for traffic, and there are 10 airbags onboard.

In addition, the C-HR also comes with Toyota Safety Sense P suite, which adds a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane-departure alert with steering assist and full-range active cruise control.

However, note that there’s no factory navigation system available, nor as referenced earlier the C-HR is not available with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto…or even Toyota's in-house Entune system. This is a genuine drawback, given the listening habits of Millennials. 



Toyota did, however, include a back-up camera to keep folks from backing over driveway obstructions, or inadvertently hitting passing vehicles or parked cars, but for some reason decided to imbed the image in the left side of the car’s little review mirror.  

Now I’ve stumbled across some poorly-thought-out applications for tech features in vehicles before, but this one has to rank up near the top.  Even young folks with 20/20 eyesight, or better, are going to have a hard time actually spotting obstructions in the mirror – which is about the size of a large postage stamp.  Instead of being “cute” with this important safety feature, Toyota needs to shift the image for the backup camera to the central data screen, which houses with the car’s other information.


DRIVABILITY



Given the fact the C-HR’s suspension was fine-tuned on European roads and at Germany’s famous Nürburgring race track, it really does handle tight turns quite nicely — given the fact it’s basically an econobox. There’s little body roll and excellent stability, with the kind of ride and handling usually associated with higher-end European models. 



To be honest, this new TNGA platform is a wonderful advancement for Toyota’s vehicle dynamics. It corners much quicker than you’d expect, yet nothing about the experience inspires you to drive the car hard. The driving performance is more than adequate, but with a gutless powertrain it lacks much passion.

It’s comfortably firm around town and on the highway, and the C-HR can carry a remarkable amount of speed through a corner, with even a satisfying bit of rotation from the rear. 



CONCLUSION



As noted earlier, we found the car’s handling to be way above average.  But any delight derived from the suspension is quickly dampened by the C-HR’s anemic powertrain and excessive weight for a vehicle this size. 

We also noticed there was an excessive amount of cabin noise, when compared with other subcompact CUVs . Whether caused by wind noise, tire noise, engine noise, or whatever, it’s rather loud and buzzy inside the little C-HR. 

Whether sound-deadening is not up to usual levels, or the edgy shape generated more wind noise, this is another issue that needs to be addressed.  

Maybe it’s the fact this is a first-year model and Toyota still has a few bugs to work out, but there are more than a couple or issues that prevent us from giving a whole-hearted endorsement to the 2018 Toyota C-HR. 

While we’re not wild about the crossover’s styling, we appreciate the efforts to compete with the equally quirky Nissan Juke and Kia Soul.  Here’s hoping this rookie gets a few of the kinks worked out, and is able to add more power and improved audio options in its sophomore season.