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2018 Toyota C-HR to Set Foot on American Soil Next Spring

If the Nissan Juke is too bland and the Jeep Renegade is too Fia... little Jeep, then you might be interested in the Toyota C-HR. The thing is, American customers will have to wait until spring 2017 to get the Prius-based subcompact crossover from Japan.
2018 Toyota C-HR Hybrid 5 photos
Photo: Toyota
2018 Toyota C-HR Hybrid2018 Toyota C-HR Hybrid2018 Toyota C-HR Hybrid2018 Toyota C-HR Hybrid
Curiously enough, C-HR stands for Compact and High Ride, yet the C-HR is neither of those. The Jeep Cherokee is a compact crossover SUV, dearest Toyota. As for ride height, is it necessary for me point the self-explanatory out? Thank you.

Even the chief engineer of the C-HR, Hiro Koba, agrees in some measure with my rant, explaining that the manufacturer’s “focus was on creating a fantastic urban driving car.” If you’re calling a jacked-up Toyota Prius that, let it be. Underpinned by the same platform as the Prius, the C-HR is the first hybrid offering in its segment.

However, there’s a mystery that goes beyond the 1.8 hybrid powertrain. That is whether Toyota will give the C-HR the E-Four AWD system available on the Japan-spec Prius. Word on the street is the all-wheel-drive Prius won’t arrive in the U.S. because Toyota hasn’t tested the model in cold conditions, but never say never. On a side note, a little birdy told me AWD will be available for the model that employs a 2.0 four-cylinder engine and a CVT.

My gut is telling me that the C-HR is a front-wheel-drive affair and that’s alright with me. Care to guess what Toyota thinks about the C-HR? I kid you not, but Toyota labeled the subcompact hybrid crossover as “the perfect vehicle for yuccies, the young urban creatives who inspired the design.” Oh Toyota, why are you so hipster?

In Europe, the Toyota C-HR will be offered with three powertrain specifications. The range-topping model is the aforementioned 1.8 hybrid. At the entry-level end of the spectrum, the C-HR is motivated by a 115 horsepower 1.2-liter turbo-4. The mid-ranger engine option is a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter. The latter engine is expected to be offered in the U.S. as well. In terms of transmission, the Euro-spec Toyota C-HR can be equipped with either a 6-speed manual or a CVT.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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