C-HR update continues space buggy theme

All flares and angles, the updated C-HR continues Toyota's love affair with the space buggy look

ALTHOUGH not the first to launch a ‘space buggy’ small SUV, Toyota has taken them to heart, along with plenty of buyers, and recently updated the C-HR.

I love the look, I am a sucker for flared guards and tough, angular body lines, and the C-HR has them in spades.

There are a few curves, especially the bonnet and roofline, but the ‘design by angle grinder’ look returns with a truncated tail section and sharply defined tailgate.

The doors don’t escape the sharp-edged styling, with concave pressing and an upswept horizontal body line.

At the front, the daytime running lights (DRLs) and LED headlights are seamlessly integrated into the front guards, bonnet and grille section, including a reverse sloped solid panel above the radiator air intake.

Our test car was the upper-specification Koba variant, getting gloss black highlights front and rear, breaking up the bodyline even more, as well as 19” alloy wheels.

The overall effect is aggressive, without being brutal, providing a solid street presence with a definite ‘look at me’ visual, that avoids being over the top.

The interior is visibly restrained compared to the exterior, combining practicality with improved ergonomics for a better driving experience

Inside, the C-HR is a little more restrained, not boring, perhaps more accessible than the exterior suggests.

Despite being a smaller car, and me being a bigger driver, it wasn’t cramped or crowded, I wasn’t rubbing shoulders with the navigator, even when flexing my elbows through corners.

The power-adjustable driver’s seat was supportive, a little narrow, but not uncomfortable, yes, I would like a longer base, but it worked for the car.

The Koba gets cloth and ‘suede-like’ fabric seat trims, they coped with Spring weather, cool mornings and warmer days, without feeling sticky or clammy, and the heated fronts were a nice touch.

I liked the chunky-rimmed steering wheel, it had plenty of adjustment with good clearance over my thighs, the thumb grips added an extra point of leverage for exuberant driving.

Like most modern cars, the crossbars house buttons for audio, cruise and instrument cluster functions, after a little practice they became second nature.

A quick nod to Toyota, historically, cabin ergonomics were not a strength, no more, ok, they still aren’t German, but they are practical and easy to use.

The centre stack features a stand-alone 12.3” touchscreen display, great for the maps, audio and vehicle functions, easily reached by the co-driver.

The dual-zone climate control is a row of buttons underneath, a tad fiddly when on the move, drivers, set and forget before you go, or leave it to the off-sider.

The centre console is narrow, due to available space, there are two cup holders, a stubby gear selector and the electronic park brake switch, ahead of a wallet-sized storage binnacle with padded lid.

While the cabin is roomier than the exterior suggests, the trade-off is the luggage space, especially when the sharply-angled tailgate is added to the picture.

While the floor space is reasonable, compressed by the rear wheel arches, the vertical space suffers badly as the hatch closes, significantly reducing the volume, it still held a week’s groceries, but a young family adding a pram would require championship-level Tetris abilities.

Our test car was the 2WD hybrid, fitted with a Continuously Variable Transmission, perhaps not the best choice for this car.

Regulars will know I love CVT for their long distance efficiency and super-smoothness, but short distance trips around town are definitely their downfall.

Unfortunately most C-HR owners will fall into this group and find the otherwise potentially sparkling performance blunted as a result.

This is doubly a shame, because Toyota has done plenty under the skin to make the C-HR a more sporty drive, with improved ride qualities, despite the low profile 19” tyres.

These work tremendously to boost cornering ability by reducing sidewall flex, but the extra rigidity is reflected in a stiffer ride, meaning more road shocks can be transmitted to the cabin.

The improved handling, coupled with the electric power steering makes the C-HR fun to power through corners, but engaging ‘SPORTS’ mode on the transmission, locking in pre-set ratios, is a no-brainer for making the most of the 103kW peak power.

While there is some boost from the regenerative braking system, the majority of the effort is still from the driver pushing hard on the brake pedal.

ABS brakes with Brake Assist and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution round out the package, providing plenty of confidence when it comes to stopping in a hurry.

I love the Heads-Up Display, not losing focus on the road while staying informed about what the car is doing is not just fun, but improves road safety.

I am not so in love with the driver assist technologies, especially when the car intervenes too early, including emergency steering assist, part of the lane keep assist family.

I like the idea of extra steering effort in an emergency, but not when the car brakes before a corner and tries to choose my line for me.

Similarly, the curve speed reduction part of the active cruise control, which automatically brakes the car if it thinks you are entering a corner too quickly, many times I had to accelerate to not get hit from behind by other drivers who weren’t expecting me to suddenly slow down.

The updated C-HR is a definite improvement over the previous version, although I think it deserves another 20 or 30 kilowatts to give it the performance to match its looks.

It is a fun and funky car, and there should be more of that, while there is a need for every day transportation, we should also be allowed to enjoy our time behind the wheel, and the C-HR can be that car.