Toyota C-HR GR Sport arrives

The Toyota C-HR GR Sport has quietly slipped into Australia without the fanfare of its potent cousin, the 200kW GR Yaris.

The first Toyota GR Sport model in Australia is priced from $37,665 plus on-road costs, or about $40,000 drive-away – which is roughly the same marker as the first batch of 1000 GR Yaris cars (which are now sold out), but offers less than half the power of the high-profile hot hatch.

This places it at the top of the C-HR range, alongside the Koba hybrid (also from $37,665 plus ORCs), and $6715 upstream of the most affordable variant, the GXL petrol that kicks off from $30,195.

The Toyota C-HR GR Sport is based on the GXL grade but uses the regular hybrid powertrain from the Koba, which is a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric unit that produces a combined power output of 90kW.

It drive the front wheels through an automatic CVT transmission.

If that’s all sounding a little mundane, the GR Sport does bring several sporty changes, including bigger 19-inch alloy wheels shod with grippy Yokohama Advan tyres (225/45 R19), white-painted (but unchanged) brake callipers with GR badges and a new-look front bumper with unique LED headlights.

GR Sport badges are added to the compact SUV’s front, sides and rear.

Despite no powertrain boost, the GR Sport has also had its suspension reworked, the ride height dropped by 15mm and paired with stiffer springs for what Toyota calls a “more dynamic driving experience”.

The major interior changes to the first GR Sport model in Australia include leather-accented and suede sports seats with GR badges, exposed silver stitching, metal pedals and a GR engine start button.

Japanese- and European-spec versions of the C-HR GR Sport variously come with GR-branded steering wheels, rev counters, scuff plates and unique start-up animations, but none of these are offered on Aussie models.

Standard features carry over from the C-HR GXL model and are fairly generous, including an 8.0-inch central touch-screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, in-built sat-nav with live traffic updates, a six-speaker stereo, 4.2-inch trip computer, dual-zone automatic climate control, automatic headlights, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and keyless entry and engine start.

Semi-autonomous driving systems fitted include adaptive cruise control, lane trace assist and lane keeping assist, plus upgraded autonomous emergency braking (AEB) that can detect vehicles, cyclists (day only) and pedestrians. It also has an intersection assist function.

Blind spot monitoring, high beam assist, road sign recognition, rear cross traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera are also part of the safety package, along with seven airbags.

Eight exterior colours are offered, including a trio of two-tone paint schemes that includes a contrasting black roof with white, yellow or red body colours.

Toyota offers a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with annual (or 15,000km) capped-price service intervals priced at $200 for the first four years or 60,000km.

The hybrid powertrain’s battery is covered by an eight-year warranty that extends to 10 years if the vehicle is serviced annually.

Toyota is expected to launch more GR and GR Sport models in future to expand the sub-brand’s portfolio, including the GR HiLux desert-dueller ute, GR Corolla hot hatch and even a GR LandCruiser 4x4 off-road weapon.

How much does the 2020 Toyota C-HR cost?
GXL petrol 2WD – $30,915
GXL petrol AWD – $32,915
Koba petrol 2WD – $35,165
Koba petrol AWD – $37,165
Koba hybrid 2WD – $37,665
GR Sport hybrid 2WD – $37,66
*Prices exclude on-road costs