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Spyshots: Toyota Crossover Spotted During Tests, Will Challenge the Nissan Juke

When we first saw the Toyota C-HR concept last year in Paris, our first impression was that it looked like a Renault. However, Toyota said the prototype was their priority for further development, and it seems they kept that promise.
Toyota Crossover Test Mule 11 photos
Photo: S. Baldauf / SB Medien
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Our always-active team of spy photographers caught Toyota's proposal for a Juke rival undergoing pre-production testing. What you'll see in the pictures is not one, but two test mules and after a closer look, several design cues will remind you of the C-HR prototype.

The concept's looks have been translated to fit a four-door setup, but the aggressiveness is still there, at least up until this point. Will the production version sport a more toned-down face? That's very likely, but it's too early to tell at this point.

According to Toyota, the C-HR crossover concept had one thing in mind in terms of design: to please the taste of European customers, a market where mini-SUVs have been thriving recently.

Moreover, our carparazzi told us the crossover has been testing on different continents around the world, and as far as styling goes, it has what it takes to challenge the Juke, its chief rival.

But while the Juke is a love it or hate it affair in terms of exterior appearance, Toyota can use that to their advantage and make their crossover a lot more desirable for a bigger chunk of potential customers.

Regarding the oily bits, we expect the crossover to ride on the company's TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) platform, with power coming from a four-cylinder engine managed through the brand's favourite gearbox, the CVT.

The new crossover will slot below the RAV4 in Toyota's lineup when it hits the market in production guise, in 2016 or 2017.

Last year, firmly adhering to the “every car has to have a hybrid powertrain” ideology, Toyota said the compact crossover spawned by the C-HR concept will be aided by electricity to move, probably coming with a separate motor for the back wheels to provide on-demand all-wheel-drive.
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