The C-HR has a fully hybrid drivetrain. These include two ‘self-charging’‘ hybrids, a 1.8-liter engine with 138 hp and a 2.0-liter version with 193 hp. In the 1.8 liter version, the C-HR accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in a leisurely 10.2 seconds, while the 2.0 liter sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.1 seconds.
Both powertrains lack outright power, but can handle the combination of city streets, faster highways, and windy mountain roads with ease. The 1.8-litre and 2.0-litre deliver their power smoothly, but accelerate with more force and you’re greeted by the familiar demonic hamster wheel growl of a slipping CVT and a Toyota four-pot hybrid revving hard to make accessible torque.
This sound is especially evident in the 2.0-liter version and unfortunately the soundtrack doesn’t quite match the performance. At higher speeds the C-HR can sound tense, although you’ll have no problem accelerating to overtake on the highway.
The more powerful 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid, based on Toyota’s fifth-generation hybrid system, combines the same 2.0-litre petrol engine with a 161bhp electric motor (because of the way these things work, they can reach a maximum peak of deliver 220 hp). to the front wheels) and a much larger battery of 13.6 kWh.
The PHEV is well tuned, with a smooth transition between electric and combustion power sources. It offers instant zip in EV mode, while the engine also has good initial throttle response, with nice pick-up and acceleration at part throttle.
That said, if you’re looking for better performance, you might be disappointed to hear that the PHEV’s top speed isn’t any faster than the regular hybrid, and is just 0.8 seconds quicker to 60 mph . Drive the car hard and the PHEV powertrain ends up doing the same thing as the other hybrid powertrains: revving to the heavens to develop power – and while there’s at least a decent amount of it, it’s certainly not the kind of style of delivery so that you come back for more, or to make this PHEV a logical choice that meets sporty tastes.
The PHEV has an official electric range of 41 miles, although we got closer to 30 miles during our test drive. As usual with PHEVs, you can leave this C-HR in EV mode; use a hybrid option that distributes power and, in synchronization with the navigation system, can use geofencing to use electric power in clean air zones; or even recharging the battery via the combustion engine and regenerative braking, then redeploying that energy in zero-emission vehicles later in the journey (although it’s a fairly slow process).
You can also adjust the strength of the regenerative braking, up to a B mode that allows almost one-pedal driving.
The PHEV, like the two other hybrid options, sounds a bit flat and very occasionally a bit gruff, although the improved initial throttle response makes the ‘demonic hamsterwheeling’ problem less pronounced than with the less powerful HEVs.