Toyota C-HR: A compact electric crossover with a sporty personality
Toyota’s C-HR is a small electric crossover with 338 hp, a 74.7 kWh battery, and a starting price of $37,000. It’s shorter than the bZ4x, offers aggressive styling and eager handling, though rear seats are tight and the interior mirrors the bZ.
Toyota continues to expand its EV lineup in North America. After the bZ4x and its variants, the spotlight is on the smaller C-HR. This electric crossover is 170 mm shorter than the bZ4x but similar in width and height. It’s only available with a dual-motor AWD powertrain producing 338 hp (252 kW) and a 74.7 kWh battery pack. The starting price is $37,000, about $3,000 less than a comparable bZ4x.
The interior is nearly identical to the bZ: the same multifunction steering wheel, small instrument cluster, and a 14-inch infotainment touchscreen with physical buttons. Wireless Apple CarPlay is standard. The rear seat is tight due to a wheelbase that is 200 mm shorter, and the high beltline can feel dark even with the optional panoramic glass roof (which reduces headroom by about an inch). Rear passengers get only one USB-C port (15 W) compared to two 60 W ports up front; the XSE trim adds heated rear seats.
On the road, the C-HR feels lively. Even in Eco mode, it’s responsive; in Normal mode, the initial throttle is overly eager. Toyota quotes a 0–60 mph (97 km/h) time of 4.9 seconds, matching other AWD EVs. However, steering feel is numb and power delivery is front-biased.
During a week of mostly city driving, the test car averaged 3.8 miles/kWh (16.4 kWh/100 km). The official EPA range is 273 miles (439 km) with 20-inch wheels (plus 14 miles with 18-inch). The native NACS port tops out at 150 kW, enabling access to Tesla Superchargers. A 10–80% DC fast charge takes about 30 minutes; 11 kW AC charging takes 7.5 hours. The charge port location behind the front wheel arch can make it tricky to reach older Tesla cables.
Annoyances: the C-HR doesn’t remember the auto hold setting and fails to keep the A/C on after restart – likely an eco strategy, but frustrating in hot weather.
