Launched in 2016, the C-HR is Toyota's answer to the Nissan Juke and Honda HR-V. Only 4.4 meters (14.4 feet) long, the C-HR is the company's smallest crossover to date and slots under the already iconic RAV4. The small SUV has received many positive reviews in its first year on the market, mostly being praised for its well-equipped interior, comfortable ride, and sporty interior. But nothing stands out more than its bold and rather unusual styling. Arguably the most exciting small crossover on the market in terms of exterior design, the C-HR became even more striking at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show thanks to a special package by ED2, Toyota's European design studio. It's called the C-HR HyPower, and it's just a concept for now.

Much like most concepts, the HyPower includes features that you can't normally buy with the regular C-HR. There's a wild finish for the roof, a special body paint, and orange accents on the outside, while the interior boasts quilted seats and a bright contrast. As the name suggests, this concept car is more powerful than the usual C-HR hybrid. Not much is known at this point, but Toyota did confirm that the show car previews some sort of higher performance drivetrain that will be revealed in early 2018. Let's have a closer look at the concept in the review below.

Continue reading to learn more about the Toyota C-HR HyPower concept.

2017 Toyota C-HR Hy-Power Concept

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2017 Toyota C-HR Hy-Power Concept
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Pros
Cons

Exterior

As if the C-HR wasn't striking enough, the designers over at ED2 enhanced the crossover's exterior with a brand-new paint and contrasting details front and rear. The new paint is called Dark Carbon and appears to be a silver hue at first glance, but the matte finish gives it a unique look that highlights the interplay between the sharp lines and deeply sculpted surfaces of the sheet metal. The gloss black front lip spoiler, nose grille, and wheel arch trim give the HyPower a stealthy appearance.

More interesting details can be found in the headlamps, which feature dark chrome backgrounds and bright, Burning Orange highlights. The dark chrome is also used on the window frames and the 20-inch alloy wheels, while the orange adds a splash of color to the lower front grille and the mirror caps. The roof is particularly interesting, featuring a bespoke finish with geometrical shapes colored in various shades ranging from pink to dark brown. The rear section of the roof become darker toward the tailgate, to the point where it matches the finish of the C-pillars and the spoiler. If Pablo Picasso had designed a car, I'm sure it would've looked just like this.

Interior

The contrasting exterior theme carries over inside, where the black-painted plastic and black upholstery was combined with Burning Orange details. The trim that separates the two dash tiers and frames the large infotainment screen is finished in the bright orange color, as are the door armrests, which appears to be wrapped in leather, and the side surfaces of the front seats.

The latter are also wrapped in higher quality leather than what you can get with the production C-HR. More orange can be found on the headrests and the yarn used to create the unique, asymmetrical quilting pattern of multiple diamond shapes across the seatback and cushions. This is indeed something else, and as a big fan of diamond quilting, I'd very much like to see this layout in a production Toyota soon. The quilting pattern carries over into the door panels, on the surface just above the orange armrests.

Although it's not very different from the usual C-HR interior, the bespoke details set the crossover in a higher league on the premium ladder. And it's proof that it only takes a few well-crafted details to change the character of an interior rather dramatically.

Drivetrain

Toyota didn't have much to say about the drivetrain, but it did mention that the concept is powered by a beefed-up version of the standard hybrid drivetrain. Available with no fewer than four gasoline engines globally (only the large 2.0-liter is offered in the U.S.), the C-HR can also be equipped with a hybrid drivetrain that combines a 1.8-liter four-cylinder gas engine and a permanent magnet synchronous motor. Total system output is rated at 122 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque in the production model, figures that have been criticized in many reviews for making the C-HR feel slow and underpowered.

As it turns out, Toyota is paying attention to what customers and the outlets have to say and developed a more powerful hybrid drivetrain. There's no word as to how much power it generates, but we should be looking at more 170 horsepower since Toyota described the uprated drivetrain as a "higher performance hybrid option." This new powertrain is part of a new strategy that will bring more powerful hybrid drivetrains in all of Toyota's core models, including the C-HR, but further details won't be revealed until early 2018.

Conclusion

I've fallen in love with the Toyota C-HR since day one. I love the exterior design, the way the sharp and muscular lines blend in, and the fact that it proves Toyota can make stylish cars that appeal to younger crowds. I find the interior to be exciting too, especially the two-tier dash, the large infotainment screen, and the modern looking instrument cluster. The HyPower concept makes everything better by adding a bit of chutzpah to an already bold vehicle. I like what Toyota did here and I think the company is finally ready move away from its traditional conservatism and roll out more spectacular features. A few bespoke packages for its core models would be a great start. Of course, I also like the idea of having a more powerful hybrid. While I think that 122 horsepower is relatively enough for a crossover that's more useful in the city than anywhere else, having options is good for both the customers and Toyota.

References

Toyota C-HR

Read our full review on the Toyota C-HR.

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