You may already know Toyota’s story: when it comes to the transition to emission-free driving, the brand is aiming for hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric and hydrogen. That doesn’t sound very silly to us in Europe, because we are already in the middle of an EV transition, but Toyota operates in all corners of our globe. So they prefer, and rightly so, to keep all options open.
This Toyota C-HR Plug-In Hybrid is therefore a logical second step after the previous introduction of the new hybrid C-HR, a model that cannot be charged with a plug. To start with that plug: if you charge the battery to the brim – it goes from 20 to about 80 percent in an hour, or from 0 to 100 percent in two and a half hours – you can theoretically reach 66 electric kilometers.
If you set your navi correctly, it will calculate the ideal drive for you, partly based on geographical data, your previous driving behavior and your live location. The main purpose is to have sufficient power left for when you drive through an emission-free zone on your route. And, when this is not available, on short urban stretches you can drive more electrically than on petrol. So you won’t rush through your load on the highway in a few minutes.
Toyota helps you drive as economically as possible
But just like with an EV (which is not available from the C-HR), the battery charge dissipates when you press the right pedal too deeply a few times. You can still actively tinker with regenerating energy, but in the flat Netherlands that will not make any difference. It is better to follow Toyota’s (free) 75-minute course where an instructor will show you all the options of your plug-in hybrid in order to drive as economically as possible. This way you will be able to achieve the specified consumption sooner (partly due to its even sleeker appearance, extremely low).
The new Toyota C-HR Plug-in Hybrid may still have a name that suits a boiler more than a car, but the updated appearance is not only sleeker, but also even more frivolous than that of the previous model. And that was one of the caliber ‘hey, is that a Toyota?’. The lines are sharper, the coupe-like shape is more coupe-like and if you look at it with the… two tone When you order paint, you will make a splash. And that glitz is also reflected in his performance.
The Toyota C-HR Plug-in Hybrid is a city speedster
No, it is not extremely fast, with an acceleration from 0 to 100 in 7.4 seconds, and its top speed of 180 does not invite you to take the car on a Sunday morning. Oberhausen Straight to do. But in practice it is quite smooth. It really delivers on its 223 horsepower, both in city traffic and on the highway. Steering is not very direct, suspension is nice and stiff with hydromechanical shock absorbers, although that will be hard for some buyers. We think it’s fine.
The equipment is also quite good, especially if you take a First Edition or a comparable offer. But if you want to go one step further, you can quickly reach 50,000 euros. Both in the Netherlands and Belgium. A lot. Especially when you consider that the interior consists partly of beautiful, soft materials, but also of rock-hard gray plastic. Undoubtedly recycled, and because it is a Toyota it will still be fine in 400 years, but beautiful is different. For half a ton it is best to go a level or one and a half higher.
The infotainment is a bit old-fashioned
The touch screen for navigation and multimedia is also not great. Toyota reports that it is new, but it is a bit slow and not very intuitive in places. There could also be an update on that. The digital counters behind the wheel are busy when it comes to information, but you will probably get used to it. For us, this of the Toyota C-HR Plug-in Hybrid is too messy. It’s great that the most important controls simply have a button.
The tech inside may not be great, but the plug-in hybrid technology under the hood certainly is. We have already mentioned that very economical driving is possible, and the combination of electric and petrol engine ensures that you do not have to drink half an hour of coffee every 300 kilometers. Although you only drive those kinds of distances when you go on holiday. On average we drive about 30 kilometers per day in the Netherlands, and probably also in Belgium (source: CBS). So if you take it off very carefully, you can do everything electrically. Provided you charge for more than two hours every day. We are curious about which PHEV C-HR student will do that.
Specifications of the Toyota C-HR Plug-In Hybrid 220 First Edition (2024)
Price
€44,995 (NL)
€51,300 (B) – Dynamic Plus
Engine capacity
1,987 cc
Engine type
four-cylinder hybrid
Power
223 hp/164 kW, 208 Nm
Drive
front wheels, CVT automatic transmission
Acceleration
0-100 km/h in 7.4 s
Top speed
180 km/h
Consumption
0.8 l/100 km
Co2 emissions
19g/km
Tank capacity
43 l (petrol)
Dimensions
4,362 x 1,832 x 1,564 mm (lxwxh)
Wheelbase
2,640mm
Weight
1,540 kg
Luggage
310 l
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