The Los Angeles Auto Show will host a U.S.-spec version later in the month
The new Toyota CHR is a compact crossover that has funky styling. It might be for you if you don’t like the look of the Nissan Juke. The new C-HR is now in production at Sakarya, Turkey. It will be the first full-hybrid subcompact crossover.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey is the world’s largest car manufacturer. Last year, it invested around EUR350 million (or $382M) in order to prepare for the new model’s arrival. It also hired 2,000 people to do the same. Toyota has increased the annual production of the Sakarya plant by adding a third vehicle.
The C-HR’s polarizing exterior design is not the only thing that makes it stand out. It also features a fully hybrid powertrain. The eco-friendly version will be built alongside the conventionally-powered models and will have the hybrid hardware imported from Toyota’s Deeside factory in U.K. We’re talking about a hybridized 1.8-liter gasoline engine with 120 horsepower (90 kilowatts) and 104 pound-feet (142 Newton-meters) of torque channeled to the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission.
The C-HR can also be equipped with a turbocharged, 1.2-liter engine from the Auris. It produces 114 horsepower (85 kW), and 136 lb-ft (135 Nm). The C-HR can be used with either a six-speed manual sending power the front axle, or with a CVT which can optionally be connected to an all-wheel drive system. A naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter gasoline motor with 142 horsepower (107 kW), and a CVT will be available in some markets.
The factory in Turkey will produce for the European markets as well as the United States, Canada and South Africa. Next week, the U.S.-spec model is going to be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It will then go on sale in spring 2010.