Toyota C-HR Prologue previews next-generation hybrid SUV
- Three-tone paintwork
- Self-charging and plug-in hybrid powertrains
- Due to arrive by 2024
The Toyota C-HR is one of the most distinctive-looking small SUVs on sale, with its fuel-sipping hybrid powertrain expanding its appeal further. Although, having been on sale since 2017, the C-HR is due for replacement, which Toyota has previewed with an all-new concept car, dubbed the Toyota C-HR Prologue.
The new Toyota C-HR Prologue gives us our first glimpse of what the next generation of the Japanese brand’s small hybrid SUV could look like. Due to arrive by 2024, the new C-HR will renew its rivalry with the likes of the Renault Captur and Carbuyer’s Car of the Year for 2023, the Kia Niro.
As you can see from Toyota’s preview images, the next C-HR will take several of its styling cues from the fully-electric Toyota bZ4X SUV. Like that car, the C-HR shall adopt an angular silhouette, with a sharp nose – dubbed the ‘Hammerhead’ by Toyota’s designers – a sloping roofline and slim LED headlights. The Prologue maintains the current C-HR’s two-tone paint, yet contrasts it further with an additional third shade in the form of ‘Sulphur’ accents on the spoiler and bumpers.
Toyota has stated the new C-HR will feature shorter overhangs than before, which should come as a benefit to interior space – one area where the current car is somewhat lacking. The overall design of the cabin hasn’t been teased yet, but buyers can expect a shrunken version of what is offered in the aforementioned bZ4X.
While we don’t know the specifics at this stage, Toyota has announced that the next-generation C-HR will still be offered with a self-charging hybrid powertrain. However, the Japanese brand has announced the new car will also be available with plug-in hybrid power, too; once again, specifications are hard to pinpoint at this stage, but expect the PHEV to offer a pure-electric range of over 30 miles.
Having claimed to have started the new C-HR project in 2022, it’s likely that Toyota is still some way off revealing the production version of its hybrid SUV. Expect the new car to make its debut in late 2023 at the earliest, with deliveries likely to commence from Spring 2024, priced slightly higher than the outgoing model.
Keyword: Toyota C-HR Prologue previews next-generation hybrid SUV