THE 2024 TOYOTA C-HR GR SPORT HAS ARRIVED - IT'S A PLUG IN HYBRID WITH A GR BADGE.
The original Toyota C-HR was something rather cool to look at when it launched, the SUV had some pretty unique styling that was more like what’s seen on sedans and hatchbacks. This made it way cooler-looking than most modern SUVs in this segment. The SUV already had interesting angles, lines and curves, and this latest incarnation carries on that styling, but things have been sharpened up in a few places. The front presents the new design architecture for Toyota SUVs, it’s doubled up on the all-electric and Star Wars-sounding bZ4X. While a bunch of angles have been sharpened, the sides have also been smooth as the car now has flush door handles - a first for the automaker, believe it or not. This all-new Toyota C-HR can be had with the choice of three electric powertrains - a 1.8 hybrid electric and a bigger capacity 2.0-litre, which is an oddly small difference. Usually, we see more than 200 cc differentiating models. The last one is the top-spec option, which is a 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid electric. As expected from this kind of car, there’s a well-specced cabin with all the right modern tech a new car buyer would want with all the associated onboard driver assist systems. There’s even a 12.3-inch fully digital combimeter, a word that not many PRs use these days, if ever. We do like a good infotainment display.
The 1.8-litre HEV powertrain is shared with the new Corolla, and it offers up decent power with exceptional mileage. In this setup the hybrid powerplant features a good 15 % more power than the existing 90 kW C-HR Hybrid, churning out a total of 103 kW. The petrol engine is rated at 72 kW with 142 Nm. This will be the engine for the 2-wheel drive versions of the CH-R. The range-topper is the 2.0-litre, and here the gasoline side produces 112 kW and 190 Nm, while the front electric motor creates 83 kW with 206 Nm and the rear electric motor produces 30 Kw with 84 Nm. The maximum combined power from this setup is a healthy 145 kW. This is the one we see wearing the GR badge, but sadly that’s all it seems to be is a badge. There are no GR-specific enhancements, well not that have been released yet. We do hope the badge will keep its credibility and not just be splashed on any new model to sell a car. That said, the CH-R is one great-looking SUV and a properly-specced and upgraded version must be allowed to exist, so we have our fingers crossed that the Gazoo Racing engineers are busy making the thing worthy of the motorsport-derived badging.
Take a look at the YouTube video that shows off the all-new Toyota CH-R. As with all new Toyota models these days, there's one in the available line-up that sports the Gazoo Racing logo, and that immediately grabs our attention. While we're not expecting something with the underpinnings of a Yaris GR or the new Corolla GR, we do think it should be worthy of wearing the two-letter badge that's been in the news for a few years now. Let us know if you think it's worthy of being part of the GR family: New 2024 Toyota C-HR GR Sport Plug-in Hybrid - Stylish Coupe SUV | Power Torque
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