Toyota has published the first official teaser of the second generation C-HRwhich will be fully disclosed June 26.
The new C-HR will arrive in Australia on first half of 2024.
The teaser shows a shadowed image of the rear, revealing only a high-mounted full-width light bar consisting of three LED light strips interrupted by illuminated ‘Toyota C-HR’ lettering.
We also get a glimpse of a roof spoiler and small side windows that create a coupe-like silhouette.
Toyota previously confirmed that the C-HR will be offered exclusively with a hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain, unlike the outgoing model which is also offered with a gasoline powertrain.
However, Toyota Australia has ruled out plug-in hybrid (PHEV) options for the local market. The company has never offered a PHEV version of the Prius and RAV4 locally.
A recently spied prototype suggests that the C-HR won’t change too drastically from last December’s Prologue concept.
The Prologue has an evolution of the current model’s coupe-like profile as well as some design cues from the latest Prius.
Previous spy shots have revealed a seemingly more spacious interior, which appears to borrow the gear selector, tablet-style touchscreen and climate control buttons from the new Prius.
It looks like the C-HR will lose the current model’s hidden rear door handles, instead using flush door handles for both the front and rear doors.
The new model is also expected to have larger tires and shorter fenders for a sportier look.
It will also adopt the new ‘Hammerhead’ front-end design language that was rolled out across Toyota models.
The C-HR will be underpinned by the TNGA-C architecture, which is also used by the new generation Prius.
Toyota is not ruling out an electric-only version of the C-HR. It currently offers an electric version of the existing C-HR only in China.
Apart from promising ‘edgy design and advanced technology’, Toyota did not provide any further technical specifications for the model.
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Prologue concept
Pricing will be announced later, but a higher base price for the new C-HR range can be expected.
Currently, C-HR prices in Australia start at $31,715 on-road for the GXL 2WD 1.2-litre turbo petrol, and rise to $38,465 on-road for the GR Sport and Koba 2WD Hybrids.
Starting in December, production of internal batteries for the C-HR will begin at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey for the European market.
Toyota says its Turkish expansion will help drive its drive towards 100 percent CO2 reduction for its European vehicle lineup by 2035.
Domestically, Toyota aims for 50 percent of its sales to be for electric vehicles – including EVs like the bZ4X – by 2025.
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