Toyota C-HR: Familiar Hybrid, New Look, Same Story
Toyota’s refreshed C-HR arrives in Europe with a sharper wardrobe and a few comfort tweaks, but beneath the surface it remains very much the same car. Think facelift, not reinvention — a model-year update designed to keep attention until the all-electric C-HR+ Electric takes the stage.
The C-HR continues in its three familiar forms: Hybrid 140, Hybrid 200 AWD-i and Plug-in Hybrid 220. The drivetrains and core architecture are unchanged, but Toyota has restructured the trim levels to keep the crossover competitive in an increasingly crowded market.
The entry-level Active Hybrid is now rebadged as Business, a nameplate that also extends to the plug-in hybrid version. Toyota highlights “enhanced standard equipment,” including heated seats, electric lumbar support and a new dark textile finish — though in practice the shift feels more like a marketing and pricing exercise than a hardware upgrade.
The mid-range Advance adds new 18-inch alloy wheels and a subtly upgraded cabin, while the sportier GR Sport treatment now becomes available with the 140-horsepower hybrid, not just the more powerful models. At the top sits GR Sport Plus, distinguished by a two-tone exterior, 20-inch wheels, a 360-degree camera suite, expanded driver aids and ambient lighting effects — enough to project a sense of exclusivity, even if the fundamentals stay constant.
One genuine improvement lies in safety. The entire range now features Toyota’s new Driver Monitoring Camera (DMC), which tracks driver attention and integrates with the emergency braking system — a meaningful update in an otherwise cosmetic revision.
Colour options have also broadened. Azul Royal and Gris Trueno join the core palette, while GR Sport Plus receives its own distinctive tones, including Iceberg White, Rojo Emoción and Plata Polar. In showrooms, that translates to more visual variety at the same price point.
The result is a C-HR that looks fresher and feels slightly more polished, yet remains unmistakably the same hybrid crossover it has always been — waiting patiently for its electric sibling to redefine the lineup.
