Toyota C-HR upgraded and hybridised

The Toyota C-HR has been given a minor nip and tuck for the 2020 model year, bringing a hybrid powertrain for the first time, more standard equipment and higher prices at base level.

All variants of the Japanese compact SUV now come with a bigger 8.0-inch infotainment touch-screen display plus Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring.

But the entry-level manual version has been axed due to low demand, so the base price increases by $2550 to $29,540 plus on-road costs for the cheapest front-wheel drive version, powered by a carryover 85kW/185Nm 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine and CVT automatic transmission.

The better equipped Toyota C-HR Koba variant now costs $33,940 plus ORCs (up $650), while all-wheel drive adds $2000 to the price of both models.

The privilege of hybrid power adds a $2500 premium to the already upmarket pricing of the new model, with the new Toyota C-HR hybrid available only in 2WD Koba spec and topping the range at $36,440 plus ORCs.

Toyota says demand for its hybrid models in Australia is at an all-time high.

"We are expanding the C-HR range with Toyota's hybrid-electric technology because it is an increasingly popular choice among consumers," said Toyota Australia sales and marketing boss, Sean Hanley.

Toyota now sells eight hybrid models in Australia: Camry, Corolla hatch and sedan, RAV4, Prius, Prius c and Prius v. That number will rise to nine in mid-2020 when the new Yaris lobs.

Hanley observed that it's taken "almost 18 years" for the Big T to sell 100,000 hybrid vehicles in Oz, but in 2019 alone it will sell 25,000 hybrids, accounting for almost 15 per cent of the brand's total sales.

So what's changed – why are Aussies loving hybrids now, after all this time?

"Affordability," was Hanley's one-word answer.

While it costs $2500 to upgrade to hybrid power on a Toyota C-HR, the premium is $1500 for a Corolla sedan.

"Hybrid demand is running at close to 40 per cent for Corolla and RAV4, and above 50 per cent for Camry. We anticipate similar success for the new C-HR hybrid," said Hanley.

The Toyota C-HR 2WD CVT hybrid adds a pair of small electric motors to a 1.8-litre petrol engine for a combined output of 90kW/142Nm driving the front wheels.

Claimed fuel economy is 4.3L/100km, versus 6.4L/100km for the equivalent petrol model.

As well as the upgraded infotainment and hybrid powertrain joining the city-SUV range, top-shelf Koba models – which account for 50 per cent of all sales in Australia – also gain LED headlights and tail-lights, while all models get new alloy wheel designs (17-inch on C-HR and 18-inch on Koba grades).

There's a new colour option – red mica-metallic paint – taking the colour palette to nine choices, and Toyota has chucked in a lot of equipment as standard across the range, starting with adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane departure alert with steering assist and automatic high-beam.

Blind-spot monitoring, seven airbags, rear-cross traffic alert, hill-start assist and a reversing camera are standard too.

Dual-zone climate control, sat nav, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, electronic park brake with auto-hold function and a 4.2-inch digital trip computer readout are also part of the C-HR package.

On top of all that, Koba model grades add keyless entry and engine start, leather-accented seats and a special 'nanoe' climate control system that is claimed to moisturise the air in the cabin.

Like most Toyota vehicles, the C-HR gets a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and five years or 75,000km of capped-price servicing. The latter costs $195 per annual service.

Toyota C-HR sales have been steady in Australia, down marginally (1.5%) in 2019 at just under 8000 sales so far and well under the small SUV class-leaders like the Mitsubishi ASX and Mazda CX-3.

But the C-HR is still keeping sales pace with the likes of the Honda HR-V and Nissan QASHQAI – despite only offering higher-priced models.

"C-HR is an important vehicle for us. It's appealing to customers looking for added style and it's brought new customers to our brand," said Rod Ferguson, Toyota Australia's chief of product planning and development.

He said the Toyota C-HR Koba hybrid adds another attractive model grade that delivers lower fuel use but is also "…a bit punchier off the mark".

Stay tuned for our first review of the updated Toyota C-HR range on Friday, December 6.

How much does the 2020 Toyota C-HR cost?
C-HR 2WD petrol CVT – $29,540
C-HR AWD petrol CVT – $31,540
Koba 2WD petrol CVT – $33,940
Koba AWD petrol CVT – $35,940
Koba 2WD hybrid CVT – $36,440

How much do the options cost?
Premium paint: $550
Two-tone paint (Koba): $450

* Prices exclude on-road costs