FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW: Toyota C-HR Hy-Power Concept unveiled
Trendy compact SUV gets hybrid power to appeal to European audienceToyota has whipped the wraps off its C-HR Hy-Power Concept, essentially a big-budget preview for a hybrid version of the edgy compact SUV.
Despite the Hy-Power name, Toyota has not revealed how much pepper the new C-HR "concept" has. Standard Toyota C-HR models in Australia top out at 85kW and 185Nm with the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine, and this concept promises to make use of a "new hybrid powertrain that offers more power and performance than the 90kW combined system output featured in Prius and European versions of the C-HR".
Expected to take pride of place as the performance leader in the range, the Toyota C-HR Hy-Power could pump out around 100kW, which is still not a lot to get excited about.
The company stated that it will release more details on the "significant and strategic future development of higher performance hybrid options" early in 2018.
Created by ED2, Toyota's European design studio, the hybrid concept appears more concerned with pushing the styling than the performance envelope.
The European design studio says the idea behind the concept was to "develop the styling of the compact SUV to connect even more strongly with customers who have highly individual tastes and lifestyles, emphasising its stylishness and fun-to-drive character".
It rides on large 20-inch alloy wheels and features smoked headlamps and a jazzy red roof.
Launched locally in February, the regular Toyota C-HR is one of the new era Toyota vehicles that breaks the "white goods" mould. Based on the company's new TNGA platform that will underpin all new models going forward, it also brings lots of technology to the table.
Toyota Australia is not saying whether it wants the striking C-HR Hy-Power model, assuming it becomes a production reality, but hybrid cars generally don't sell well in Australia.
"There are no plans in the immediate future to augment the range beyond the existing 1.2-litre direct injection turbo, which has been very well received," Orlando Rodriguez, Senior Product Public Relations Project Lead at Toyota Australia told motoring.com.au.
"Although, as we said at launch, we have not ruled out introducing a hybrid variant down the track," he added.
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