The arrival of the second generation Toyota C-HR in 2023 was clearly welcomed by the industry, as this compact crossover SUV scooped each the dealer-voted Hybrid Automotive of the Yr trophy and the Recent Automotive of the Yr trophy on the AM Awards in May this 12 months.
Now AM will probably be spending a number of months with probably the most popular and well-equipped versions of the C-HR, a plug-in hybrid in Excel trim.
Already known for its striking design and nimble city driving for the reason that first automobile arrived in 2016, the Toyota C-HR is now even higher and the expansion of the range to incorporate the efficiency of a plug-in hybrid alongside the self-charging hybrid variants makes it much more appealing to urban drivers and eco-conscious consumers.
Toyota GB is decided to make it more attractive for patrons to decide on this automobile too – the present PCP offer for the PHEV combines a 1.9% APR and a £2,500 deposit contribution plus buyers get a Toyota Homecharge supplied and installed without cost in the event that they order by September 30.
In official WLTP tests the PHEV version is able to covering almost 41 miles on a full electric charge, which is an amazing advantage for buyers who can do a number of zero emission local drives but still have the reassurance of a petroleum tank for long-distance trips.
In my first few weeks with this automobile I’ve found that charging it just twice per week, using my Podpoint home charging point overnight, is sufficient for all the college runs plus a few 16-mile round trips to the office.
A £40ish fill of petrol lasts a surprising while even on long journeys when the trip computer typically shows 65-75mpg, helped by Toyota’s fifth generation hybrid technology which ensures that when the battery charge is depleted the vehicle switches seamlessly to hybrid operation, moderately than defaulting to the two.0-litre petrol engine alone.
One other neat feature is that the C-HR all the time starts in EV mode. Plus, on a journey into an emissions-controlled area the automobile will default to running in EV mode if it has enough charge in its battery pack.
For comparison with other rivals, the official WLTP figures are 314mpg fuel economy and 19g/km CO2.
This automobile can also be essentially the most powerful of the C-HR range, with 223PS on tap. While the character of the PHEV encourages a mindset towards efficiency, dealerships arranging prospective buyers a test drive should give them the prospect to check out its different drive modes.
Switch it into ‘sport’ does reveal a brand new dimension. It isn’t exactly Supra-like acceleration but the additional responsiveness is welcome and a 0-62mph sprint of below eight seconds will appease any heavy-footed buyers.
In the approaching weeks I’ll enjoy putting plenty more miles on this sporty SUV
Toyota C-HR PHEV Excel Auto
- Price: £42,920
- Efficiency: 313.8mpg (WLTP), 19g/km CO2 emissions
- All electric range: 40.4 miles
- Top speed: 111mph
- 0-62mph: 7.2secs
This Article First Appeared At www.am-online.com
