2021 Toyota C-HR GR Sport Hybrid FULL REVIEW

When C-HR was first launched onto the Australian market, the term that came to mind was eye-catching. Nissan had a crack at this kind of small SUV-style hatch, with JUKE, but it was utterly hideous. Toyota made no such mistake.

Right out of the gate, C-HR was a cracker, with a striking exterior matched to an ultra-modern cabin loaded with tech.

C-HR GR Sport Exterior

C-HR GR Sport is based on the pov model, with stuff glued on to pretty it up a bit.

The styling is city-chic, without the froth and bubble. It is playful, with LED lighting which is both practical, and visually appealing. Gay buyers love the unique and unusual, but C-HR isn’t so in-your-face as to frighten us off completely.

As a city car, C-HR GR Sport has buckets of personality, with its kicked up rear end, concealed rear door handles, and nifty roof-mounted splitter on the back hatch. There is GR badging all over the exterior, and although it doesn’t relate to performance or handling, the GR kudos exudes from every pore. I just wish its collar matched the cuffs, but more about that later.

Actually, C-HR GR Sport would look even more brilliant if the GR Yaris team was let loose on it. Toyota, get on it! Stick on a fat set of alloys, bump the guards out, and shoehorn in that gagging 3-pot from GR Yaris, and C-HR GR Sport would probably outsell Agatha Christie.

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Above: This Week 2021 Toyota C-HR GR Sport FULL Review

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ABOVE: 2021 Toyota C-HR GR Hybrid Review

Inside:

The cabin is a triumph.

If the outside is all shouty, then the cabin in many ways, is its antithesis. There is an indefinable Insouciance that is both calming and reassuring. There are still plenty of playful surfaces and lines to entertain the eye, but it isn’t so busy that you want to run screaming from the room.

The cockpit places controls within reach, but the active cruise is still on a talk. There was nowhere to put its distance control, so that is up on the steering wheel.

Apple CarPlay/Android Auto make and the LCD touch screen feel more up to date. The menus are simple and easy to use, but the LCD between the driver dials has the Drive Mode selection menu. There is no button on the console, so, like the cruise control distance selector, is an afterthought.

There is upgraded fabric for the seats. Leather, real and imagined, is teamed with an Alcantara-look material to give a touch of class. There are lashings of piano black, but most of it is gently curved to prevent nasty glare from the hot Australian sun.

I don’t go much for hard plastic, and there is certainly a bit of it about the place, but the faceted door trim look a million bucks. There is more flourishes up on the head lining with a curving set of indented scales.

Getting C-HR GR Sport started:

Tuners says they got at the suspension so make is handle a bit more like a sports car, but if that was the aim, they missed the mark. It is far too soft to be a sports car, but quite good as a tourer.

All C-HRs have smart entry and start. WOOT!

Pressing the button won’t always elicit rumblings from in the interior, and that is C-HR GR Sport’s trump card. It has a 1.8L Hybrid and spends much of its time in EV mode. Toyota hybrids come with a CVT automatic, but, needs must. Loathe them though I do, you haven’t a choice of any other transmission. Not only that, there is no AWD option. That, I find irritating beyond belief. Only the 1.2L models have the luxury of driving all four wheels.

C-HR GR Sport looks mighty nippy, but it isn’t. Toyota says the GR team installed tougher shockers to reduce body roll, which hasn’t been a huge success. Instead, the little high-set hatchback is happier humming along in highway mode. Remember, drive modes are within the settings screen in the Multi Function Driver Display If you think you might want extra oomph in corners, select Sport Mode prior to needing it. You certainly can’t do it on the fly.

The bends are then tackled with glee, and rather unexpectedly, the C-HR GR Sport was somewhat lively. Although the CVT tried its best to sap the enjoyment from cornering with flare, C-HR GR Sport gave it a jolly good thrash anyway.

It seemed to revel in the spirit of the trip, rather than the arrival.

You’ve got a space saver spare, just in case, and there is enough room for a couple of bags to get you to your weekend digs up in the mountains.

Normally we’d have stuffed a couple of chums in the back, but Covid says no. None the less, we can still say that space back there is bijou at best, and the low hanging rear door makes ingress and egress an artform. I would not want to spend a long trip riding in the rear, but a stint to the airport would be fine. It is amazing what I’ll put up with to avoid paying a taxi fare.

As for SUV-like exploits, C-HR is an SUV in name only. Stick to the tarmac please.

What’s the outcome? Yay or nay?

If you want the 2-bed bungalow of motoring, C-HR GR Sport isn’t for you. If you prefer a modern glass and steel studio in the beating heart of the city, please enter. C-HR GR Sport is spot on for a 2021, city-dwelling latte-sipper, where it sits at the very margin between urban and suburban dwelling.

There is scope for a weekend away, and even the odd road trip. C-HR GR Sport is fun, doesn’t take itself seriously, and is crammed full of safety and driver aids.

It won’t appeal to everyone, making it even more attractive to those who admire quirk. C-HR GR Sport is, dare I say it, sexy.

C-HR 2WD HYBRID GR SPORT

1.8 GR-S Auto $37665

– Premium Paint 575

– Two-Tone 775

Engine: 1.8L petrol electric Hybrid

Power: 90kW (combined) hybrid powertrain

Trans: CVT automatic

Econ: 4.3L/100k

KEY FEATURES

Unique exterior features:
• LED high-grade headlamps (auto-levelling), front foglamps and rear combination lamps
• Dark smoked 19x7J alloy wheels with 225/45R19 92W tyres
• GR body kit with unique grille, front bumper, side skirts
• Black rear lip spoiler, mirror caps and door garnishes
• Black rear reflector surrounds, new under-bumper trim
• GR badges
• Body: 5mm longer (front overhang), 15mm lower
• Running clearance 12mm lower
Unique interior features:
• Leather-accented sports seats
• Dark-silver painted surrounds (instrument panel, door garnish)
• Piano black surrounds (centre console, power-window switch base)
• GR-branded push-button start
Unique mechanical features:
• GR-tuned electric power steering tuning
• GR brake callipers (white), suspension and floor centre brace
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Electronic park brake
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Smart entry and start
• Hill-start assist
• Engine immobiliser
• Tilt-and-telescopic steering column
• Steering wheel switches
• Multimedia:
o 8-inch touchscreen
o 4.2-inch colour multi-information display
o Apple Carplay^®5, Android Auto™⁶
o 6 Speakers
o Satellite navigation
Safety features:
• Pre-collision safety system (AEB)²
• Intersection function²
• Emergency steering assist²
• Lane track assist²
• Auto high beam²
• All-speed active cruise control²
• Road-sign assist (certain speed signs)²
• Blind-spot monitor²
• Rear cross-traffic alert²
• Reversing camera