Unveiled at the 2014 Paris Motor Show the Toyota C-HR Concept has a lot of people talking about it and for good reason. Let’s go over what makes this concept car so special and what it says about the future of Toyota’s products.
Hybrid Crossover
The Toyota C-HR Concept has been described by many as a “hybrid-crossover,” two terms that typically don’t go together. As you likely know, a hybrid is a vehicle that uses both gasoline and electric power to run. A crossover is a relatively new term that is used to describe a vehicle that has attributes of more than one genre of vehicle.
In the case of the Toyota C-HR Concept, it will carry a hybrid engine. As for the term “crossover” its design is something of a muscle car/station-wagon/SUV crossover, having visual design elements of all these vehicles. That being said, its design does lean heavily in the muscle car direction with minor features from the other vehicles.
Concept Design
Immediately the most striking aspect of this vehicle is the overall look it has as previously mentioned. Described as “aggressive” it looks very much like a modern muscle car with a slightly futuristic angle to it and some slight SUV/station-wagon style features. This sleek crossover design is a lot different than other modern muscle cars which tend to have a somewhat retro look.
Prominent features of the car include its narrow headlights, the wide grille, and its overall sweeping SUV style profile. It also features an attractive set of 20 inch tires and eye catching rims. It should also be noted that this is a 2 door vehicle.
The design measurements are as follows:
Overall Length: 4,350 mm
Overall Width: 1,850 mm
Overall Height; 1,500 mm
Wheelbase: 2,640 mm
Engine Specs
Something else that has generated quite a buzz about the Toyota C-HR Concept is its engine specs, or rather, speculation about its engine specs. The only thing that has been revealed for certain at this point is that hybrid engines will be available.
Pricing and Availability
Currently slated for a 2016 release, the Toyota C-HR Concept is still a ways off. It should also be mentioned that as a concept car, the design is likely to change before release. Some have speculated that Toyota will go with a more conservative, less aggressive look for the final release though this hasn’t been confirmed. More information related to pricing is expected closer to the C-HR release.
Overall the Toyota C-HR Concept is an exciting new direction for the company. While we may not have all the facts on this hybrid-crossover vehicle just yet it does show that Toyota is taking a very modern approach to aesthetic design in their vehicles in addition to the hybrid engine technology that they are well known for.
