Toyota’s next launch for India (possibly!)

The Jeep Compass has shown that a sharply priced SUV can still sell in the space between the Mahindra XUV500 and the Hyundai Tucson. Toyota is said to be considering the CH-R for the Indian car market. The Japanese automaker may test waters by bringing this crossover to the 2018 Delhi Auto Expo, happening in February next year. For now though, Toyota is busy testing the ASEAN-spec version of the CH-R at Thailand.

The racy-looking crossover is built on Toyota’s TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) platform, and in the UK market (another right hand drive market like India), comes with two engine options – a 1.2 liter turbo petrol motor good for 115 Bhp, and a 1.8 liter petrol-hybrid powertrain with 122 Bhp on tap. No diesels are available with the CH-R for now. Transmission options include a 6 speed manual gearbox and a CVT automatic.

The 6 speed manual gearbox is offered on the front wheel driven versions while the all wheel drive model gets the CVT automatic gearbox. Toyota also offers 1.8 liter and 2 liter naturally aspirated petrol engines in specific markets of the world. It’ll be interesting to see which engine Toyota will bring here with the CH-R if this crossover is greenlighted for the Indian market, which loves diesels in its SUVs.

Coming to the features on offer, the CH-R gets an all-black, futuristic dashboard with striking blue accents and leather trim. There is an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which gets modern updates like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Safety features such as airbags and ABS are standard. Ambient lighting, leather seats, automatic air conditioning and a center console oriented towards the driver are other key details.

How much?

At least 15 lakh rupees, if the CH-R is brought to India. The CH-R is likely to enthuse younger buyers who Toyota reliability and the funkiness of a sportu crossover but can’t bear to be seen in a car like the Corolla Altis.

Via Autocar