Toyota C-HR 2024 Review

It might be a small SUV, but there’s nothing small about the price of the second-generation 2024 Toyota C-HR range.

Up by more than $10,000 compared to the model it replaces, you’ll now need to spend more than $43,000 to get into the latest C-HR, by virtue of the fact that there’s no longer a regular petrol engine available – only hybrid.

Whereas the previous C-HR hybrid (offered in Koba and GR Sport model grades) started at $38,465 plus on-road costs, the new 2024 range opens at $42,990 for the entry-level GXL, rising to 49,990 for the mid-spec Koba, before topping out at $54,990 for the flagship GR Sport (all plus ORCs).

That puts a large wedge between the C-HR and key rivals like the Mazda CX-30 (from $33,140), Hyundai Kona (from $32,000) and Volkswagen T-Roc (from $39,790).

But Toyota does have other bases covered with the petrol and hybrid Corolla Cross range also in the small SUV segment (from $33,890 to $50,030 plus ORCs).

Toyota expects the vast majority of buyers (about 70 per cent) to choose the mid-spec Koba variant, with 20 per cent stumping up for the GR Sport and just 10 per cent opting for the base GXL.

Importantly, a laundry list of standard equipment on all grades makes those prices a little more palatable.

Even at base level, the 2024 Toyota C-HR GXL is fitted with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and daytime running lights (DRLs), heated exterior mirrors, keyless entry with push-button start, rain-sensing wipers and dual-zone climate control.

The Koba we drove on launch gets larger two-tone 19-inch alloy wheels, bi-LED headlights with auto-levelling, LED front fog lamps, cornering lamps, a powered tailgate, revised grille, tinted rear windows, sporty fabric/suede-like front seats with heating, ambient interior lighting and a powered driver’s seat with memory.

Aside from being the sole all-wheel drive variant, the flagship GR Sport adds gloss black 19-inch alloys, a GR Sport grille, black exterior trim detailing, leather-appointed/suede-like sports seats, a heated steering wheel, alloy scuff plates and GR Sport floor mats.

The GXL is available in six colours: Glacier White, Frosted White Pearl, Graphite metallic, Stunning Silver metallic, Ink mica metallic and Emeraldine mica metallic, while the Koba or GR Sport can also be optioned with a two-tone paint scheme.

Toyota charges an additional $775 to paint the roof black, while you can opt for that gloss black paint to be extended to the rear half of the car for $1550.

Opt for a panoramic roof (which automatically comes with the latter two-tone paint scheme) and it’ll be another $1150.

Every C-HR is backed by Toyota’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, with capped-price servicing offered in the first five years (or 75,000km) at $200 per service – due every 12 months or 15,000km.

The new-generation 2024 Toyota C-HR is safer than ever, with a comprehensive suite of safety tech fitted standard across all variants.

Every C-HR is fitted with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with detection for pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists (daytime only), as well as oncoming vehicles at intersections.

There’s also rear cross traffic alert, blind spot monitoring, a driver fatigue monitoring system, lane trace assist and departure warning, emergency steering assist, speed sign recognition, safe exit assist, parking sensors at both ends, a panoramic view monitor and park assist.

Adaptive high beams are fitted to the Koba and GR Sport, leaving the GXL with a less-advanced (but still handy) automatic high-beam set-up.

The adaptive cruise control system now brings four pre-set following distances, up from three, while the upgraded AEB camera system is said to bring a wider and deeper range of collision detection.

In the event of a collision, there are 10 airbags protecting the vehicle occupants.

The new C-HR is yet to be crash-tested by either Euro NCAP or ANCAP, but a maximum five-star safety rating is anticipated.

It’s much more expensive than before but an array of tech inside the 2024 Toyota C-HR range boosts its appeal.

A larger 12.3-inch touch-screen is standard across the range, bringing embedded and cloud-based navigation, Android Auto, wireless Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth and digital radio.

The infotainment system is intuitive and easy to use, while physical climate control buttons are situated on a control panel just below, making adjustments on the move simple to execute.

The driver is also treated to a fully digital instrument cluster, while the sound system varies from a six-speaker unit in the GXL to a premium nine-speaker JBL system in Koba and GR Sport.

Koba and GR Sport also feature a wireless phone charging pad, along with a digital rear-view camera – as seen in the larger RAV4 – which would come in handy if you managed to squeeze three adults into the rear seat and couldn’t see out the small rear window.

Honestly, it feels like tech for the sake of tech and it can be difficult to adjust your eyes back to the road if you’re constantly using it.

Toyota Connected Services also makes its way into the C-HR for the first time, offering a free 12-month subscription (then from $9.95 per month). It brings the ability to connect your vehicle to your smartphone to access real-time information such as fuel level, vehicle location, and more.

There are two powertrain options in the hybrid-only 2024 Toyota C-HR range, both of which utilise Toyota’s latest fifth-generation hybrid technology.

Entry-level GXL and mid-spec Koba grades are fitted with a revised version of the front-wheel drive 1.8-litre petrol-electric set-up used in the first-generation C-HR, albeit with a range of upgrades said to make it more efficient and powerful.

Meanwhile, the GR Sport gets a more powerful 146kW (peak combined) set-up, made up of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a pair of electric motors. It’s also the only C-HR variant to get Toyota’s eFOUR all-wheel drive system.

In the Koba tested here, peak combined power is 103kW, courtesy of its 72kW/142Nm (at 3600rpm) 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and front-mounted 70kW electric motor.

Of the upgrades, Toyota details a smaller and lighter hybrid transaxle in GXL/Koba, said to improve noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels, while the petrol 1.8-litre has been “thoroughly refined”.

Both powertrains now use a lighter lithium-ion battery in place of the first-gen C-HR’s nickel-metal hydride battery, and every C-HR is fitted with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

There’s a plug-in hybrid version of the C-HR in Europe, but it’s currently not on the agenda for our market. Toyota Australia’s vice-president of sales and marketing, Sean Hanley, said that if demand is high enough, the company will consider bringing the PHEV here.

Despite its work to bring performance, weight-saving and efficiency benefits to the new 2024 Toyota C-HR, it doesn’t appear as superior to the last-gen C-HR as one might expect on paper.

Now tipping the scales at 1490kg (up 30kg), the slightly heavier front-drive C-HR Koba is said to use just 0.3L/100km less than before, with a new combined-cycle claim of 4.0L/100km.

The GXL is claimed to use the same amount of fuel, while the AWD GR Sport consumes 4.1L/100km.

Those are numbers we struggled to match on test, getting as low as 4.9L/100km in the Koba after a mix of city and rural driving and 5.3L/100km in the GR Sport over a similar drive loop.

While each C-HR variant comes with an array of drive modes (Normal, Eco, Sport and Custom), there’s also an EV ‘drive mode’ – as with other hybrid models from Toyota – but it’s only for low-speed use. Punch the accelerator and the petrol engine kicks in.

While the 2024 Toyota C-HR Koba is our pick of the bunch for value, those wanting a C-HR with a little more personality would be better suited to the all-wheel drive GR Sport.

Make no mistake, the C-HR GR Sport is by no means a performance car, however a brief stint through some winding country roads revealed a charming little machine, with decent performance and more than enough dynamic talent for a mainstream small SUV.

It’s agile and easy to wrangle, but you need to work its hybrid powertrain hard to get things moving.

On the other hand, the smaller 1.8-litre petrol-electric powertrain in the Koba feels better suited to city driving. It’s not sluggish per se but you wouldn’t necessarily call it zippy either.

Challenge it with some high-speed cornering and the C-HR Koba holds up surprisingly well, even without the surety of the GR Sport’s all-paw grip. Throw it into a corner and it’s just as confident, thanks in part to Bridgestone Turanza rubber that provides plenty of grip.

While it feels more than capable of tackling a spirited country road, the C-HR Koba runs out of puff quickly and you don’t have to worry about potential wheelspin when you pin the throttle from a standstill; its lack of power prevents any such chaos.

In terms of the ride, it errs on the firmer side, with taut suspension that lends the C-HR a generally sporty feel, while still offering decent ride comfort and compliance.

Steering is light yet direct but you can make it more meaningful by flicking to Sport mode to stiffen it up (and improve throttle response) if you so choose.

No matter which C-HR you’re driving, the CVT automatic retains its familiar drone, which only gets louder under load. In a cabin with no music or chatter, it’s all you’ll hear a majority of the time, even with decent sound insulation that otherwise does a great job of shielding passengers from road noise.

Based on a revised version of Toyota’s TNGA-C platform, the new C-HR is 4362mm long, making it 28mm shorter than before, but the wheelbase remains at 2640mm. It’s also 37mm wider than its predecessor.

As with the first generation, the C-HR’s small stature makes it easy to place on the road and a breeze to manoeuvre around town, even if rearward vision is compromised by the tiny rear window and think C-pillars.

Compared to the car it replaces, the cabin of the 2024 Toyota C-HR feels more premium and tech-laden than before.

In mid-spec Koba trim, the door cards get soft suede-like inserts – even if the top half is still hard plastic – and the leather-appointed steering wheel feels lovely underhand. The smaller gear-shift makes the cabin feel more spacious and there are plenty of storage options up front.

For those hopping out of a first-gen C-HR, the steering wheel is just as busy and button-heavy as before, but it’s now laid out in a simpler fashion that makes it easy to navigate.

A larger central touch-screen and fully digital instrument cluster moves the new C-HR along, while the addition of connected services will be a win for tech-heads.

As before, the second row is a tight fit for adults and is best left to children or small teenagers. A pair of adults in the outboard seats should be fine on shorter trips, however the curving roofline hinders headroom, and there’s very little in the way of amenities.

There’s no centre arm rest or air vents and only a single USB-C port is provided at the rear of the centre console of the Koba and GR Sport (not on GXL). The rear door pockets really only have room for a small cup.

Likewise, if you’ve got taller people in the front row, you’ll struggle for legroom in the rear seat.

Meanwhile, the front-wheel drive Koba tested here offers a decent 388 litres of boot space (or 1155L with the rear seat folded), while the GR Sport AWD offers 362L (extending to 1134L).

There’s no doubt the 2024 Toyota C-HR range is a better offering than the car it replaces.

Now a hybrid-only range, the new C-HR is smarter and safer, arguably looks cooler – or at the very least, more futuristic – and brings improved fuel efficiency thanks to Toyota’s latest battery-electric technology.

But all that comes at a huge cost, making it a hard sell when you consider what else you could get for your $50,000-plus outlay, whether that be a more affordable rival that’s just as (if not more) enjoyable to drive, or even a larger mid-size SUV.

2024 Toyota C-HR Koba at a glance:
Price: $49,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric
Output: 72kW/142Nm (electric motor: 70kW/185Nm)
Combined output: 103kW
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Fuel: 4.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 89g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested