Toyota NZ confirms quirky hybrid C-HR SUV is coming here

Liz Dobson
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Photo / supplied

Photo / supplied

Toyota will be introducing a self-charging hybrid powertrain to the facelift C-HR due in New Zealand at the end of 2019.

The introduction of the C-HR is part of Toyota NZ’s plan to offer an electrified version of every vehicle in its range by 2025.

The brand’s hybrid mix has increased from 6 per cent in 2018 to 17 per cent this year.

Toyota NZ’s chief operation officer, Neeraj Lala, says this is because “our new advanced hybrid technology becomes available across more of our range”.

 “Kiwi consumers are becoming more cognisant of the environmental impact of their vehicle. The increase of hybrids in our range to 17 per cent of total sales has dropped our overall average CO2 emissions by more than 6 per cent on last year’s results,” he said.

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The C-HR self-charging hybrid will be powered by the same 1.8 litre engine and Toyota Hybrid System as the self-charging hybrid Corolla hatchback and Prius.

Lala says the addition of the self-charging hybrid option is the “icing on the cake for the contemporarily styled C-HR range”.

“Stylish and filled with technology the Toyota C-HR still represents a leap forward in design and engineering for Toyota and is the right recipe for a multi-purpose compact SUV.

“The addition of a hybrid engine delivers the complete package of contemporary design, energetic performance and great fuel economy,” said. Lala.

Fitted with a self-charging hybrid powertrain, the C-HR delivers 90kW of total system output with combined CO2 emissions as low as 97g/km and has a combined fuel consumption of only 4.3L/100 km.

The C-HR is also available with a 1.2 litre petrol turbo engine, which delivers 85kW of maximum power and 185Nm of maximum torque. This powertrain generates CO2 emissions from 144-148 g/km and returns a combined fuel consumption of 6.4-6.5 l/100km depending on the variant selected.

No price has been announced by Toyota NZ, but the entry-level C-HR starts at $32,990.