This new 2026 Toyota C-HR is one of those cars that should be a hit because it hits all the marks people want in a car; even the ones that contradict each other.
I don’t want like, a car, but I don’t want an SUV either
Toyota’s newly redesigned C-HR hits that mysterious mark, successfully incorporating the funky design cues that a lot people liked about the previous C-HR with Toyota’s handsome new design language. It basically looks like a taller, tougher Prius - and the Prius is a very good looking car.
It’s not quite a car, not quite an SUV, not quite a hatchback; it really puts the cross in crossover, but it works. It’s right-sized and the right height, too, and its sloping roofline gives it a more interesting silhouette than the rest of the crossover masses, but its liftback rear hatch maintains excellent practicality.
It’s also a very fetching shade of copper-orange that Toyota that's aptly named Tandoori, and rolls on swirly machined face dubs, which is nice. It kinda looks expensive. (Spoiler: it isn't)
I don’t want a big car, but I need lots of room
You’re covered. Automobile size categories don’t really mean anything anymore, but this is technically a sub-compact, and it fits comfortably in any parking spot. That flips on its head once you’re in it though, because no part of it feels small at all. It’s bright, spacious, airy, especially so under our loaded tester’s huge panoramic glass roof.
The back seat is quite spacious too; at six feet and long legged, I can comfortably sit behind myself with space to spare, so there’s no caveats about “fine for children or adults in a pinch” or any of that small car nonsense. Cargo space is good, with extra space under the floor, and obviously it expands quite a bit with the rear seats folded away.
There’s also lots of space for phones - two of them on a big charging pad! There’s lots of storage space under that phone-centric centre console, as well in the door pockets and glove box, too. It’s not a bus or a truck, but the overwhelming majority of people won't need more than this. The seats are comfy and power adjusted, and even heated all around, too.
I want lots of technology but not like, too much tech
The infotainment system is the C-HR is housed on a large 14-inch touchscreen, which sounds like a lot - mostly because it is - but it doesn’t feel like too much, because of Toyota’s simple and fairly intuitive interface that ensures there’s never too much happening on screen, and it’s all easy to see and make sense of.
There’s big dials for temperature control and a plain old knob for adjusting volume on this tester’s JBL sound system. Most of the car’s physical controls are relegated to the steering wheel like the Prius, which I’ll concede does look kinda convoluted, but trust me, once it’s in your hands, it makes sense.
Toyota Safety Sense is a long list of standard advanced driving features that not only help keep you safe, but the adaptive cruise control and lane tracing are genuine quality of life improvements that take over most of your boring commute on your behalf. It’s not complicated, it just sits in traffic for you!
I don’t need a hot rod, but I want lots of pep
This little C-HR has two motors; it would have been concerning if it weren't - as my mom would say - zippy. Those two motors drive all four wheels and produce a combined 338 horsepower and 323 foot-pounds of torque; the same as you’ll find in the much bigger and fancier new Lexus ES500e. Despite being totally silent, this little commuter crossover thing is very nearly as quick as Toyota’s own hot rod, the race-bred GR Corolla - and with instantaneous electric torque, it feels even quicker around town.
If you keep your foot out of it, it just feels normal and effortless, and drives well enough, with fairly natural feeling steering, throttle, and brake response. It’s not the last word in fine handling and tactile feedback, and it gets a little sloppy if you try throwing it around like a hot rod, but its fine, and more importantly, it’s comfortable and quiet, which is what everyone wants in something like this.
I don’t wanna worry about range, but I can’t afford a huge battery either
The small C-HR is powered by a small-ish 77 kWh battery, but it’s helped by exceptionally efficient design. The aerodynamic shape, the heat pump and thermal management, the motors and regenerative brakes, are all finely honed to use as little energy as possible - we clocked an average use of just 14.5 kWh/100km, which puts it well ahead of the similarly-sized Volvo EX30 and… just about everything else I’ve driven lately, come to think of it.
Toyota estimates this loaded dual motor tester should be good for 438 kilometers on a charge, and can jump from 10-80% on a Tesla Supercharger via its standard NACS port in 30 minutes. It’s also worth mentioning that Toyota is very cautious about weather hardening and making sure things work as advertised all the time - they’re adamant that frigid conditions will have zero effect on charge times.
Actually, I can’t afford much at all, lmao
No problem! The 2026 Toyota C-HR starts at $44,900, and our-loaded-as-can-be dual-motor XSE Premium tester rings up to $54,955 - well under the average new vehicle price, even loaded with leather and suede. All C-HR models (including this loaded tester) qualify for the Canadian Electric Vehicle Affordability Program, knocking up to five grand off, plus whatever your province may or may not do sweeten the deal as well.