Boasting edgy looks but smooth handling

The Toyota C-HR Limited is brisk and satisfying for an older-generation hybrid technology. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

If it’s fashionable automotive looks you’re after in a compact Toyota hybrid SUV, the C-HR is right on point, but if practicality is a higher priority, the more conventional looking and cheaper Corolla Cross makes a compelling case.

The C-HR range is bigger than ever and so are the prices.

The cheapest version is the GX 1.8-litre hybrid priced at $47,990 followed by the GXL with a $50,990 asking price, while the Limited version I drove is hardly a bargain at $54,990.

However, it may seem so compared to the range-topping $58,990 GR offering all-wheel-drive (AWD) and 10kW more power, and sporty good looks.

The optional two-tone paint job adds $1000 to the asking price.

Size-wise, this latest C-HR is a tad shorter but is wider than its predecessor, so it looks and feels larger with its greater girth and well planted on-road stance.

This amplifies the vehicle’s short overhangs and lower height that varies depending on the wheel size of the each model.

The Limited, in keeping with its loftier status in the C-HR food chain, scores 18-inch alloy wheels, helping it rise above the premium compact urban SUV crowd.

Under the bonnet and poised for action is a substantially revamped version of Toyota’s proven 1.8 litre hybrid powertrain with its maximum power output up from 90kW to 103kW.

An extra 13kW may seem modest but what you need to focus on is how these new-found kilowatts contribute to the vehicle’s driveability.

In short, the answer is much, more than that I ever imagined with noticeably more smoothness and general all-round performance.

While far from electrifying, it’s brisk and satisfying for an older-generation hybrid technology.

Noise levels while not pin-drop quiet are lower, although the motor is gruff under load over steep terrain, or when a decent wedge of throttle is required to whisk past slower traffic.

Passenger space is greatly improved, especially for rear-seat passengers, who now enjoy the journey in greater comfort with more head, leg and shoulder room.

Even better is a bigger and more logically shaped rear-load compartment, complete with the added flexibility of a 60:40 split-folding rear seat.

The noisy central-locking system jars in a car that in almost every other respect is so refined.

All the main instruments and controls are slanted towards the driver, giving a cool, but non-claustrophobic cockpit vibe to the cabin.

A touch-screen audio display includes satellite navigation with SUNA traffic updates. The steering wheel is a repository for the audio, phone and other functions.

Reminders that you are driving one of the more lavishly-adorned attired Toyota SUVs are leather seats, quality passenger compartment fixtures and fitting, and a huge panoramic sunroof.

The C-HR is fitted with Toyota’s acclaimed safety-sense system with motorcycle detection into its pre-collision set up with additional support from a driver monitor camera.

Adaptive high-beam automatically dips the headlights, reducing the risk of the driver putting on an impromptu, but annoying dazzling performance for unsuspecting drivers travelling in the opposite direction.

The vehicle’s looks may be edgy, but the handing is smooth over demanding surfaces.

Nicely weighted electric power steering offers good road feel, although not so endearing is some steering kickback over badly corrugated surfaces.

I didn’t feel the ride was overly comfortable. The suspension was busy and a bit chirpy over sections of road with areas blighted by high frequency bumps.

Some of that could be down to the vehicle’s larger 18-inch alloy wheels fitted with lower-profile handling-oriented tyres.