What's this then?

This is something we've seen before - Toyota's C-HR concept crossover, which was shown off at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. This time around in Frankfurt, Toyota has given it a slight styling update and confirmed that a full production model will come from it, which will debut at next year's Geneva Motor Show.

That production model will be called the Auris Cross, and like the C-HR concept it will ride atop Toyota's new TNGA modular chassis. Power will come from 1.2-litre turbo petrol, 1.6-litre turbodiesel and 1.8-litre hybrid electric powertrains.

Don't expect the styling of the C-HR to make it entirely through to production, although Toyota has said today that it is closer to the final car than you might think. That dramatic roofline will have to go, for practicality's sake, but the production car is expected to have a 'floating roof' effect thanks to black painted roof pillars. The 'diamond-cut' styling of the bodywork could get through to the showroom too.

The C-HR (as the Auris Cross) will sit below the current RAV4 in Toyota's range and it's part of the "promise by Toyota's global president Akio Toyoda to build always better cars that bring the fun back to driving."

Neil Briscoe - 15 Sep 2015