Rumour: Could Toyota be Working on an Electric C-HR?

Never believe a rumor until you are sure it will come true. A rumor is still a rumor, but some deserve to be treated more than others. In this case, the rumor comes from the Japanese website Spyder7.com, the publication that’s taking the plunge by claiming that a purely electric – and completely revamped – variant of the C-HR will be released next year.

It’s true that the C-HR is no longer a youth, the urban crossover that’s been around since the 2018 model year (so since 2017), but its lackluster success in the North American market doesn’t guarantee its return, especially since Toyota just introduced the Corolla Cross for 2022, and let’s just say the new model is off to a great start with consumers accustomed to the popular car, but who want a little more space.

But then again, elsewhere in the world, the C-HR stands out with its “elevated rally car” design and continues to charm customers who aren’t afraid to express themselves. This new C-HR that the Japanese website talks about would play in the coupe SUV niche with its sharper roof and tailgate silhouette. For an electric-powered model, this design is more in line with what a fuel-efficient vehicle should be.

Spyder7.com also mentions the fact that the new C-HR could gain a hybrid powertrain paired with an all-wheel drive transmission, a mix that does not currently exist elsewhere in the world. The current C-HR can be ordered with an all-wheel drive and a normally aspirated engine or with a hybrid drivetrain and front wheel drive.

It’s also possible that senior management simply decides to rename the curious vehicle and include it in the bZ (for beyond Zero) lineup, a new model that would be a little smaller than the new Toyota bZ4X and, in theory at least, could go a longer distance on a full tank of electrons, the bZ4X which can run for 400 km before running out of fuel, in the case of the front-wheel-drive version. This smaller crossover with the same powertrain could do better than the model developed jointly with Subaru.

However, Toyota’s electric strategy on our continent is still unclear, with the Japanese giant banking on a heavily electrified lineup at the moment anyway, its hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology more extensive than ever. And the C-HR may not be part of the brand’s strategy in the near future.