Toyota C-HR gets more safety

Toyota Australia has announced safety updates and price increases for its smallest SUV, the Toyota C-HR, positioning all variants further above the $30,000 mark.

Now priced from $30,915 plus on-road costs for the newly-named GXL entry-level variant (previously $30,290, the 2020 Toyota C-HR line-up comes with price hikes of between $475 and $625, with top-spec Koba variants now priced from $37,165 plus ORCs.

The move follows similar recent price hikes for the updated 2020 RAV4, Prado, LandCruiser 70 Series, Fortuner, HiLux and new Yaris, which now sees the cheapest new Toyota priced at $22,130.

On the upside, all 2020 Toyota C-HRs come with an improved autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, that can now detect cyclists as well as pedestrians during the day and night using an on-board camera and radar system.

It’s also now able to provide a warning and automatically brake the vehicle when turning at intersections to avoid oncoming vehicles or pedestrians.

Meanwhile, Toyota says its Emergency Steering Assist function (ESA) will “help maintain stability and help prevent the vehicle swerving into another lane during an emergency steering manoevre”.

The Toyota C-HR’s lane-keeping assistance has also been improved and is now known as Lane Trace Assist (LTA). As the name suggests, it provides steering assistance to keep the small SUV in its lane between painted markings as well as adjacent grass, soil or kerbing.

Speed sign recognition will now indicate when the speed limit changes, and can also be used to reset the vehicle’s cruise control speed setting.

In addition, the base Toyota C-HR GXL 2WD gains keyless entry and push-button start, while top-spec Koba variants get an improved rear cross traffic alert function that can automatically apply the brakes if it detects a collision with a stationary or moving object.

Engine choices remain the same, including an 85kW/185Nm 1.2-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder in front- or all-wheel drive configuration, or a 90kW 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid, in front-drive only.

There’s no sign yet of the GR Sport variant of the C-HR that Toyota Australia has received ADR approval for. It will bring a sports body kit, 19-inch wheels and sportier suspension, but no engine upgrades.

How much does the 2020 Toyota C-HR cost?
GXL petrol 2WD – $30,915 (+$625)
Koba petrol 2WD – $35,165 (+$475)
Koba Hybrid 2WD – $37,665 (+$475)
GXL petrol AWD – $32,915 (+$625)
Koba petrol AWD – $37,165 (+$475)
* Prices exclude on-road costs