The Toyota C-HR concept (as well as its stillborn twin, the Scion C-HR concept) looked pretty wild, but the small crossover’s design will be tamed a bit for production. This sketch is our first look at the shape of the production Toyota C-HR, which debuts next month at the 2016 Geneva auto show.
The sketch appears to show the Toyota C-HR will have a more rounded, slightly more traditional body than the angular, chopped-roof concept. Look for squinting headlights, a deep lower grille in the front fascia, and a coupe-like sloping roof. The C-HR will be a four-door crossover and will compete with models like the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3, and Nissan Juke.
Toyota says the model will give drivers the high driving position of an SUV while maintaining “an engaging driving experience.”
The Toyota C-HR will offer a hybrid engine option when it launches, and it’s likely to have a traditional non-hybrid option, too. Toyota has revealed very little about the C-HR’s mechanical parts so far, but the car rides on the same Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) flexible platform as the new Prius, suggesting its powertrain could be shared with the Prius, which could mean a 1.8-liter inline-four engine mated to an electric motor-generator.
Now that the Scion brand has been canceled, the C-HR will also be sold as a Toyota model in the U.S. Look for the Toyota C-HR to go on sale in Europe later this year.