Toyota’s entrant into the compact crossover segment, called the C-HR, made its global debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show earlier this year.
During its debut, Toyota showcased the new crossover’s exterior to the world, though the interior was curiously hidden from public view, until Toyota decided to unveil the C-HR’s interior recently.
Design of the new interior is a departure from current Toyota design, with the interior featuring the company’s new ‘Sensual Tech’ design concept. The interior now features a driver-focused dashboard with a large 8-inch display audio facing the driver, alongside all operating switch gears.
Toyota says that the new 8-inch display audio touch-screen features a redesigned and improved HMI (Human Machine Interface) with Toyota’s Multi-Media 2016 navigation platform. In addition to that, the C-HR can be had with a tailor-made JBL premium audio system with an 8-channel, 576 Watt stereo amplifier and 9-speakers, including two newly patented acoustic JBL wave guides, known as horn tweeters.
Kazuhiko Isawa, Chief Designer C-HR said, “With the C-HR, we are trying to introduce a new value into the C crossover market, and that newness comes from SUV robustness and strength. But we’re not trying to make an SUV that’s dynamic, rather, a dynamic vehicle with SUV-like properties.”
In addition to that, the development team aimed for class-leading sensory quality (SQ), and knowing that C-HR customers will also have competitors from premium brands on their shopping list, the C-HR interior represents the earliest involvement yet of Toyota’s European SQ team in the design process.
Interior trim comprises of piano black and satin silver trim, while the instrument panel gets a clear blue illumination. All of which has been carefully fine-tuned to ensure consistency of hue, even on adjacent reflective surfaces of differing colours. Toyota will be offering the C-HR with several colour choices, namely Dark Grey, Black/Blue and Black/Brown.
Powering the Toyota C-HR is a 1.2-litre turbo engine that delivers 116 hp and 185 Nm, mated to either a 6-speed manual or a CVT. CVT equipped versions are available with either front- or all-wheel drive. The second engine choice is a similar powertrain as the new Prius, a 1.8-litre Hybrid Synergy Drive system that delivers 122 hp. Toyota says that the hybrid system allows the C-HR to sip only 3.7 l/100 km.
