2026 Toyota C-HR First Look: Toyota’s Coolest EV Yet

Toyota has resurrected the C-HR as a sporty EV crossover. It looks stylish, produces a bucketload of power and has personality, too.

2026 Toyota C-HR First Look

Photo by: Ralph Hermens

Suvrat Kothari

By: Suvrat Kothari

Jun 7, 2025 at 10:00am ET

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The Toyota C-HR is back. And this time, it's not an awkward-looking and boring crossover.
Toyota has revived the nameplate as an all-electric model after discontinuing the gas version in 2022.
Watch our walk-around video above for all the details on how the new C-HR looks and feels in person.

The last Toyota C-HR sold in America was an awkward-looking compact four-door crossover. While it was great at sipping gas, it wasn't especially great at finding buyers.

In 2022, its last year on sale, Toyota sold only around 12,000 units, which was a 60% drop from the previous year. The C-HR continued on in Europe, but we haven't missed it much over here.

Now it's 2025, and the C-HR name is back. But this time, it's not what you think. I got to check one out at Toyota's U.S. headquarters in Plano, Texas, recently, and I came away pretty impressed.

Gallery: 2026 Toyota C-HR Studio Images

2026 Toyota C-HR1

2026 Toyota C-HR2 2026 Toyota C-HR3 2026 Toyota C-HR4 2026 Toyota C-HR5 2026 Toyota C-HR6 2026 Toyota C-HR7

Source: Suvrat Kothari

The C-HR has been resurrected in an all-electric crossover with some real sporting potential. Apart from some subtle design cues, it has nothing in common with the old model. And now, it brings Toyota's U.S. EV lineup to two models, with more coming soon.

The updated C-HR shares the e-TNGA platform with the refreshed (and larger) Toyota bZ. Along with the other new EVs Toyota and Lexus have in the pipeline, it could help the automaker become a real force in the competitive electric crossover market.

The coupe-like sloping roofline, supplemented with blacked-out elements all around and the horizontal light bars on both ends, give the crossover a unique personality and style. At 177.9 inches long, it's about 6.7 inches shorter than the bZ, so it's pleasantly compact and would make for a great city car. But don't let its compact dimensions fool you—the C-HR packs plenty of performance and would be a happy highway cruiser.

2026 Toyota C-HR3

Photo by: Suvrat Kothari

All-wheel drive is standard and its dual electric motors combine for 338 horsepower, enough to make it sprint from 0-60 miles per hour in just 5 seconds—it will easily smoke its gas-powered predecessor in a straight line and is as fast as the Toyota GR Corolla, which is a proper hot hatchback. The C-HR's suspension tuning is also unique, including the spring and damper settings and the stiffness of the anti-roll bars. The bZ is geared towards comfort, whereas the C-HR will be sporty.

Driving range isn't class-leading, but it's still significantly improved over the current bZ4X, which is capped out at an EPA-estimated 252 miles. The C-HR gets the same 74.7 kilowatt-hour battery as the refreshed bZ and will deliver 290 miles of Toyota-estimated range. That's slightly lower than the bZ's 314 miles of maximum range, but still near enough to the 300-mile mark that should be table stakes for any modern EV.

2026 Toyota C-HR interior

Photo by: Toyota

The maximum charging speed is 150 kilowatts, but Toyota says it has improved the charging curve to make it charge faster—it will go from 10-80% in 30 minutes in ideal conditions. Most importantly, it gets the Tesla-developed North American Charging Standard port right from the factory, opening up access to thousands of Superchargers in the U.S. It also has the charging port on the correct side, so owners won't have to double park at Superchargers.

The only seeming drawbacks to the C-HR so far are interior space and the placement of the gauge cluster. Because the C-HR is a sportier and smaller bZ, the room inside isn't the best. But it won't be a dealbreaker for most owners—average-sized and tall-ish passengers should be comfortable at the rear. The boot space is also slightly compromised—only the bZ without the JBL speakers has slightly more cargo room. The bZ has 27.7 cubic feet of luggage space, whereas the C-HR has 25.4 cubic feet.

2026 Toyota C-HR13

Photo by: Suvrat Kothari

The gauge cluster placement, on the other hand, seems frustrating. The steering wheel, in all its different adjustable positions, blocks the view of the gauge cluster, making it effectively obsolete because you can't read any information from it. Although the larger 14-inch infotainment screen felt slick and easy to use on the bZ—the C-HR will get the same unit. We'll save our final judgment for when we drive it. Other features like panoramic sunroof and heated seats are welcome additions too.

Overall, however, that's a lot of power and a good amount of range in a small, compelling package. I'm eager to see how it does when it finally hits the road.

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The C-HR will be made in Japan and is expected to go on sale in the U.S. early next year. Prices will be announced closer to launch.

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