Skip to main content

It’s not the new FR-S, but Toyota’s C-HR concept looks like a blast

Toyota C-HR
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Crossovers have been filling a gap in the automotive world that nobody knew we had, and Toyota is finally looking to jump onboard.

Carscoops has obtained official images of a new Toyota concept, a small, angular crossover called the C-HR.

Recommended Videos

The C-HR may be a boring name, but Toyota’s latest concept actually has a pretty distinct, muscular look to it, injecting new life into a lineup that is still fairly humdrum.

Toyota clearly supports a spicier model range, saying the C-HR “combines a powerful new design language with an engaging driving experience and a hybrid powertrain.” That hybrid powertrain is expected to show up in the next-generation Prius, which may feature an all-wheel drive option.

Toyota C-HR
Image used with permission by copyright holder

From the side, the crossover looks poised and sleek, with a snub-nosed, Volvo-like front profile and a rear end reminiscent of the 2014 Mazda3 5-door. The front fascia itself is quite unique, however, with squinty headlights spanning the front end and vertical running lights reflecting the considerable ground clearance.

Related: Is Toyota planning a hotrod FR-S with turbocharging and all-wheel drive?

The C-HR will sit slightly below the RAV4 in Toyota’s range, butting right up to the 99.6-inch wheelbase of the Nissan Juke.

The 2014 Juke is offered with a 188-horsepower engine for $19,170, but there is also a 197-hp turbo version for $23,170 and a 215-hp NISMO model for $26,120. The C-HR has also been billed a competitor to Nissan Qashqai, which isn’t available in the U.S.

Toyota C-HR
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Some have suggested the C-HR to be the first imagining of an “Auris Cross” hatchback, due out next year.

To see the crossover in the metal, stay tuned to our coverage of the 2014 Paris Motor Show. The event kicks off October 4th.

Topics
Andrew Hard
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…
Digital Trends’ Top Tech of CES 2025 Awards
Top Tech of CES

Las Vegas is overrun. Every billboard in town is shouting about AI, hotel bar tops now sport a sea of laptops, and after hours The Strip is elbow to elbow with engineers toting yard-long beers.

That means CES, the year’s biggest tech bacchanalia, has come to town, and Digital Trends editors have spent the last four days frolicking among next year’s crop of incredible TVs, computers, tablets, and EVs. We’re in heaven.

Read more
Sony and Honda’s Afeela 1 EV makes more sense at CES than in the real world
Afeela 1 front quarter view.

The Sony car is almost here. After its creation via a joint venture with Honda in 2022 and two years’ worth of prototypes, the electronics giant’s Afeela brand is finally taking reservations for its first electric vehicle, with deliveries scheduled to start in 2026.

But will it be worth the wait? Coinciding with the opening of reservations, Sony Honda Mobility brought updated prototypes of the Afeela 1 (as it’s now officially known) to CES 2025, representing what California customers (Afeela is only taking reservations in that state) who put down a $200 refundable deposit can expect when they take delivery.

Read more
Bose wants to dominate car audio, and I heard its next-gen 3D automotive speakers
Bose logo on a speaker grille

Bose’s automotive audio business is huge, and it’s set to get even bigger. The company has been making big plays in car audio for some time now. The audio company works with premium brands like Porsche, building high-end speakers that allow drivers to experience high-quality audio on the road, whether they’re carting the family around in an Escalade or weaving around the highway (don’t do that) in a Porsche Macan.

But while it has a solid selection of audio brands under its belt, the world of personal audio is also evolving. Mercedes-Benz showed off its Dolby Atmos system at CES last year, and now, a year later, plenty of other brands are joining the trend. At CES 2025, Bose walked me through its current lineup of automotive audio products, as well as a sneak peek of what’s to come.
Immersive audio
The big trend in all areas of personal audio right now essentially boils down to supporting 3D audio formats like Dolby Atmos. Consumer home theater products are increasingly offering up-firing and side-firing speakers that can bounce audio around the room to simulate height and surround effects, while headphone brands are increasingly developing spatialized audio tech that can convert stereo audio into simulated spatial audio.

Read more