Toyota C-HR GR Sport 2020 Review

The 2020 Toyota C-HR GR Sport is a big deal for Toyota Australia. It represents the first ‘mid-strength’ vehicle to wear GR badges in this country – GR being an acronym for Gazoo Racing, which is Toyota’s motorsport arm – and sets the pace for what’s to come.

Based on the front-wheel drive Toyota C-HR GXL model grade, which is priced from $32,915 plus on-road costs, the GR Sport model is a $37,665 plus ORCs proposition – adding $4750 to the price.

So what do you get for the extra outlay?

The most obvious upgrade is a butch new front bumper and grille design, with a gaudy central chrome strip. The latter we could do without, but the rest of it looks tough, with GR Sport badges front, sides and rear, plus 19-inch alloy wheels shod with grippy Yokohama Advan tyres and white-painted GR-badged brake callipers.

If the GR Sport strategy is to simply create eye-catching cars, it’s mission accomplished.

The suspension has been tweaked to deliver a sportier drive and inside there are a few GR badges (starter button, seat backs) to remind you this ain’t no vanilla-flavoured city runabout. The suede and leather-accented sports seats with exposed silver stitching make a strong impression when you first open the door.

But there’s no powertrain upgrade, which means the C-HR GR Sport trundles along with the uninspiring 90kW petrol-electric hybrid powertrain and a CVT automatic that does its best to imitate a vacuum cleaner. Sadly, the engine set-up is the exact opposite of sporty.

And annoyingly, there’s a bunch of features offered on European versions not available here, like custom door sill scuff plates and a unique instrument cluster animation.

That said, the GR Sport SUV is a well-equipped vehicle with a premium interior finish, offering niceties such as a proximity key for keyless entry and engine start, dual-zone climate control and an 8.0-inch touch-screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

In terms of practicality, it’s got two impressively large and deep cup holders and a big central storage box under the arm rest, but that’s about it. Incidental storage is average and back seat room is pretty tight for taller adults – and claustrophobic, due to the massive C-pillars.

Boot space is also rather average, at 318 litres with the rear seats upright, and that’s with a space-saver spare tyre.

Toyota’s first GR Sport model in Australia can be ordered in eight different exterior colours, three of which (white, yellow, red) can be had with a contrasting black roof.

The 2020 Toyota C-HR GR Sport doesn’t get any additional safety systems or cabin tech as part of the upgrade, and the braking package has not been uprated – still with 300mm discs up front, and 282mm rotors out the back.

What’s already on the car does prove effective though, such as the lane centring system, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control which work surprisingly well on the freeway, making minor steering adjustments and regulating speed effectively so you don’t have to.

The electric park brake comes on automatically when you slot the gear shifter into ‘P’ and an auto-hold system works well in traffic, holding the vehicle still so you don’t have to ride the brakes.

There’s a full complement of airbags, seven in total, plus a reversing camera, rear cross traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors and a blind spot monitor.

The lack of a wireless phone charger is a shame and with only one USB port the C-HR is starting to show its age.

The front-end is swathed in LEDs, from the headlights and daytime running lights to the fog lights, which adds a high-tech look while offering good night-time visibility.

The new Toyota C-HR GR Sport is currently only available with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid powertrain that generates 90kW of power, and proves to be a great metro runner.

It offers very low fuel consumption – down to 4.1L/100km after two full days of urban driving – and when running around town the hybrid combines well with the CVT automatic, which is super-smooth and relatively quiet at lower speeds and has a bit of hustle from standstill.

But given the GR Sport badges and upgraded chassis, the hybrid powerplant misses the mark in this application.

Drive it in a sporty fashion, and the words ‘gutless wonder’ come to mind. Engine power under demanding conditions is best described as soft and woolly, and combined with a CVT that emits a monotonous drone at full throttle, the GR Sport moniker begins to feel contrived.

Our average fuel consumption on test stayed at a pretty low 6.1L/100km even after hours of spirited driving. But when struggling to accelerate up hills, we begin to wonder about the value of linking the GR sub-brand with the regular hybrid.

The 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine found on other C-HR variants would have been a better option, with less weight and more grunt.

One more gripe about the powertrain: the lack of a manual override system – via paddle shifters or a Tiptronic-style mode with the transmission lever – is perplexing. There’s no ‘sport’ mode either. Even my mum’s Hyundai Tucson has a sport mode!

Perhaps the biggest question is whether this sporty-looking Toyota C-HR really puts the ‘GRRR’ in GR Sport? And the answer is: Sort of.

The upgraded suspension which is 15mm lower and stiffer now, gives the small SUV a flatter attitude through corners and it feels a little sharper when turning into bends, but if you’re expecting to get GR Yaris or Toyota GT 86-inspired handling, you may want to hang about for the rumoured full-fat GR C-HR version.

The bigger 19-inch alloy rims shod with lower-profile, but no wider, Yokohama Advan tyres (225/45 R19) make the biggest difference to the way the C-HR handles – and grips. It’s more confident now and feels as though it can hold higher mid-corner speeds than equivalent regular C-HR models.

However, understeer is common if you get too cocky diving into corners and the lacklustre hybrid powertrain doesn’t allow you the grin-inducing pleasure of blasting out of them. Indeed, the extra weight of the twin electric motors and battery make it feel heavy and lethargic under acceleration.

Ride comfort suffers due to the firmer suspension and sportier tyres, but I reckon most buyers will know what they’re in for here.

The driver’s seat is really comfy and supportive, with solid side bolsters and good cushioning. It comes together with the leather-clad steering wheel and alloy pedals nicely, while the creative design flourishes in the cabin make less spirited driving experiences feel more Lexus than Toyota.

The C-HR GR Sport is an improvement in a dynamic sense but still feels like a missed opportunity, particularly with the flaccid powertrain on offer.

The 2020 Toyota C-HR GR Sport gets a nice amount of interior and exterior eye candy and has improved handling, but overall fails to really excite the senses.

Is it worth the extra cash? If you’re keen for something that really stands out and has a whiff of athleticism, then yes, I reckon it is. Just.

There’s definitely more scope to have a bit of fun in the GR Sport than regular models.

Despite a lack of power, many buyers will find the hybrid to be a good option and Toyota’s attractive capped-price servicing ($200 per year) and five-year warranty add appeal and keep running costs down.

But this is not a cheap compact SUV and I hope the next GR Sport model is a more assertive machine, because the power that the GR badge delivers – thanks to the epic GR Yaris and GR Supra models – is considerable and in some ways this model almost degrades the brand value.

How much does the 2020 Toyota C-HR GR Sport cost?
Price: $37,665 (plus on-road costs)
Available: December 2020
Engine: 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid
Output: 72kW/142Nm (90kW combined)
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Fuel: 4.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 97g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2017)