What's all this about?
It's a new little Toyota crossover-coupé, which we knew was coming to Geneva because: a) we had a teaser of it about a week ago, and b) someone leaked the embargoed images days before the show. Anyway, it's a hybrid performance SUV.
Is it? Are we talking mega-power?
Ah. No. Bear in mind this is a Nissan Juke/Honda HR-V/Mazda CX-3 rival, so it doesn't need 300hp and anti-lag. Therefore, don't be disappointed when we tell you its 1.8-litre petrol-electric drivetrain develops a peak of 122hp; that's actually well within the class standards. The plus point of all this is that it will emit less than 90g/km CO2 as well, although you have to have a continuously variable transmission for such cleanliness. Despair not; there's also a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol-only C-HR, using an engine seen in the Auris, which can have a six-speed manual gearbox and which possesses 115hp.
So why is it shaped like a coupé if it hasn't got the trousers to match the mouth?
The C-HR is supposed to have an adept chassis, so that its handling compensates for its lack of oomph. Multilink rear suspension and the latest Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) underpinnings have been honed on European roads, so the car should drive in a manner we Old World types find agreeable. Anyway, it's all about the look of the thing. And we like it.
Do you?
Yes. It's a bit more interesting than some of the soap bars in this category and while it runs close to Lexus territory, with its creases and weird-shaped rear light clusters, it has also managed to remain obviously a Toyota, albeit one with some visual clout. It's also pretty true to the concept shown in Paris in 2014, for which Toyota should be commended.
So when can we expect to see it?
Probably later this year. If the CVT has been refined, then it might prove to be a decent little machine.
Matt Robinson - 1 Mar 2016