Toyota teases Maruti Suzuki S-Cross rivaling CH-R compact crossover

The hatchback variant of the best selling Corolla sedan is dubbed the Auris. A crossover based on the Auris, and scheduled to debut at the upcoming 2014 Paris Motor Show has just been teased by Japanese automaker Toyota. The Suzuki S-Cross rivalling Toyota CH-R compact crossover will sit below the RAV4 SUV as the automaker’s entry level model. Currently undergoing road tests, the CH-R will be put into production in 2017. Global sales will also start from 2017.

From the teaser, it is easy to discern that the CH-R promises to be one of the sharper designed Toyotas in recent times. A sharply raked front end combined with a coupe-like rear gives the new Toyota a fresh sense of direction, design wise. The 2017 Toyota CH-R crossover almost looks like a BMW X6 in terms of its profile. With the 2017 CH-R, Toyota is promising an engaging driving experience in a car that is essentially a high riding hatchback.

With Toyota embracing the Toyota New Generation Architecture (TNGA) in a big way, the CH-R crossover is also expected to be an offshoot of the TNGA platform. In terms of engines, expect the CH-R to feature petrol, turbo diesel and hybrid options. A front wheel drive layout is likely to be standard fare with an all-wheel drive option thrown in on the t0p-end models. The official unveil of the 2017 Toyota CH-R will happen on the 2nd of October, at Paris, where more details are likely to be revealed.

The 2017 CH-R crossover is a launch possibility for the Indian car market considering the fact that Toyota has been selling multiple generations of the Corolla sedan here, and quite successfully at that. Also, the automaker’s SUV offerings begin from the best selling Fortuner luxury SUV, leaving a yawning gap in the sub-20 lakh rupee segments. A well priced CH-R crossover, positioned between the likes of the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross and the Mahindra XUV500, could give Toyota a hot selling product that takes pressure off the automaker’s Corolla sedan, whose segment has been tanking as a whole.