Review: Toyota C-HR Excel HEV (2026)

The Toyota CHR was weird product when it first launched in 2016. Toyota, who spent most of their time building some of the most drab but stunning effortless commuter vehicles making a space age crossover that could cut an onion if you threw it at it the right way? It can't be true! Fast forward to 2026 and a decade later the name plate is still going, and finding success at that. I've already reviewed the previous generation CH-R and while I did love the smoothness and hard lasting build quality, I mentioned how it had gotten old.

That all changes with this new generation. The same razor sharp styling, the same boring powertrain, and the same perfect build quality all wrapped up in a modern package. So what's it like to live with?

Looks: A Prius With A Growth Spurt

There is no denying that in a world of egg shaped crossovers that the CH-R is a striking design. It is an awful lot cleaner then the previous generation and looks very futuristic because of this. These coupe style hatchback crossovers are becoming more popular, as the CH-R has rivals like the Peugot 3008. Both have a sweept back rear end with a light bar, and even have the same stick out aero parts on top of the rear window.

From the front, the CH-R looks like a jacked up Prius, another great looking Toyota, and that Prius theme continues on the inside as we will get to later. The styling of CH-R does have its downside, mainly visibility and space. The racked rear window, relatively small rear windows and think C-Pillar make it hard to see out the back of the car when maneuvering. There is also a worry that if you plan to use this as a family car, that kids might feel a bit claustrophobic in the rear seats as there is less light able to get through then regularly styled rivals. 

Interior: Form and Function

Sit inside the new CH-R and you'll be greeted with a great looking and well thought out place to sit. It has a cockpit feel to it, with the center console trim clearly being a driver focused affair. Speaking of the center console you get the same shifter and climate control set up as in the Prius along with a wireless charging pad and shortcut buttons for your parking and camera assists. Materials are good both nothing to write home about. Toyota are known for their curvy but boring interiors but the CH-R with its ambient lighting and sweeping lines that carry from the door cards to the corners of the windscreen both do well to help buck this trend. Unlike it's Prius sibling, the CH-R uses the Corollas digital dash setups, which isn't the greatest. It is finicky to set up and isn't the most customisable for things you really want to see like a map. It does allow for you to have three distinct set ups, great for if there are multiple drivers using the one car frequently, or if you want to have different information showing depending on if your on the motorway or in the city. The steering wheel audio controls are also in a weird spot, making it difficult to change track while driving without taking your hands off the rim of the wheel. 

The infotainment system is great, as it is with all new Toyota models. It is clear, crips and easy to use with Apple Carplay and Android Auto capabilities. I did suffer one hiccup, with the car disconnecting from a wired Android Auto connection even though the cable was still connected. The system seemed glitchy out before catching itself and rebooting. It's never happened before in any other Toyota models I've been in with that system, and it didn't happen again after that one incident, but I thought it was worth noting. 

The Drive: Smooth, Easy, But A Little Boring

The CH-R may look zany and weird, but it drives like any other Toyota hybrid. It's basically the same driving experience as the Prius which is no bad thing. Some may say that a car that looks sporty should drive sporty but in the case of the CH-R, the fact it drives so mondaine is actually a good thing. You get to have they funky styling without the harsh ride or heavy steering. It is a bit stiffer them the Corolla, which has softer more forgiving suspension over bumps, but doesn't feel as direct as the CH-R. I spent most of my time with the CH-R navigating central London and for that role it was a comfortable, fuel efficient crossover, with a driving experience kept out of my way.

For people using it in the city, the only issue I would bring up is it's parking sensors. When in bumper to bumper traffic the CH-R loves to activate its front sensors, beeping and showing a display on the infotainment system even when you have some distance from the car in front. It happened enough that it did get annoying after a while. You can tap an X on the screen to close it and the car will eventually stop beeping shorty after, but having to do that every forth or fifth stop in traffic gets tiresome. Other then that gripe, the CH-R was a dream in traffic. The Hybrid powertrain is perfect for inner city driving and catching the striking side profile of the CH-R in passing windows allows you to feel unique and not like you are an Uber driver in a Prius. 

A trip to Heathrow was the other task I had to complete while testing CH-R. The peaceful and easy experience can be summed up in one sentence; I turned on the radar guided cruise control and didn't touch the pedals for twenty minutes of my journey. The CH-R was again, a completely competent and fuel efficient vehicle, with the only slight annoyance coming from the whine of the 138 hp, 1.8 litre engine when you asked the car to get a move on, something I complained about in my review of the previous generation. The drone of that CVT is definitely more muted then the previous generation, being present but not sounding like electric whisk gone mad, like the previous car. Other then that though, the CH-R handled the North Circular Road like a champ, making the hour journey feel a lot shorter then it was.  Fuel economy is a real strong point as well, with the CH-R getting around 50 mpg if driven right, perfect for this current fuel starved economy.

Conclusion: Is the CH-R worth it for less space?

It is worth mentioning that if you just want a big hybrid Toyota, the Corolla estate is a great option, costing less, offering more space and being able to swallow all of life's baggage in one trip. 

Price wise, the CH-R straddles the line between the less advanced but equally as serine to drive Corolla, and the more up market Prius and larger RAV4 at £31,695 or €40,595 It fills that niche well and makes a great case for itself and it's mad style, well thought out interior and generally smooth driver assist technology. More conventional rivals like the Vauxhall/Oprl Mocka, Kia Stonic or Hyundai Kona will be more practical and offer better rear passenger light and feel, but none look this good. It terms of electric rivals, a Kia EV3 is a great shout, offering a boxy but striking look, and droves of interior space and practicality.