Toyota has a long history with the small SUV market longer in fact than this sounds cash KY some would argue that Toyota was first to the market with its

Toyota rav4 which is now a much larger heavier family SUV so we needed.

something to replace that to rival cars such as the Nissan Qashqai stare – tecar

and Peugeot 3008 step in then at the CHR its sleep to look at there’s a hybrid

version that will keep your tax bills low and even the most basic versions.

come with plenty of equipment on paper then the CHR should give the attacker

and run for its money so let’s see how it stacks up on the road refreshingly.

for a small SUV there are only two engines to choose from first up is this

1.2 liter petrol which has just enough power and doesn’t scream too much when

you push it hard it’s a shame though that the fuel economy and co2 emissions

aren’t a little bit more impressive then there’s the 1.8 litre petrol hybrid.

which is in fact the same setup as you get in the Toyota Prius it’s noisier than the 1.2 however it

will be the favorite amongst company car drivers thanks to its low co2 emissions.

those doing high mileage is only disappointed that there’s no D’s

right comfort and handling also depends on which engine you choose go for the

1.2 petrol and the CHR is relatively smooth and rides better on broken tarmac.

than either the attacker or the Peugeot 3008 it’s also surprisingly agile by

small SUV standards and delivers enough feedback through the steering wheel to

give you confidence go for the hybrid though and things start to get a little.

unsettled on patchy road surfaces it feels heavier and less agile on twisty.

roads even compared with other small SUVs you do sit rather low in the CH R

which makes it quite difficult to see out of when compared with say in this

van Qashqai especially the rear because of that funky styling although all

models do get a reversing camera as standard and higher-end versions get

front and rear parking sensors plus a system even parks itself there’s plenty

of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel so you can find a comfortable.

driving position although basic versions don’t get number support all the

dashboard controls are logically laid out and they are also within easy reach.

although we would prefer to adjust the temperature with dolls instead of buttons

this seven-inch touchscreen has all the functions you would expect including da

B radio and Bluetooth and if you go for Excel or dynamic that also includes.

sat-nav it’s also connected to the Internet which is a very clever function

because it enables you to get in live traffic updates for your route using it

though is another story it is very clunky and you’d be better off with a more simple system instead.

attacker now let’s see how easy it is to pair my mobile phone and set a destination in a satellite connectivity Bluetooth connection such device yes wow that was quick now I’m going to set a

destination in the sat-nav that looks like the sat-nav symbol to me confirm.

enter address and let’s put in the full postcode let’s link one up VH batten one

space 6g G calculate route well that was easy here in the front of the CHR there’s

plenty of space even for taller drivers however the door pockets are rather small so they only accommodate a small

bottle of water and it’s a similar story for the glovebox things don’t get any

better in the rear either because although it’s got the same footprint as

a setter check out space in the rear is much less kids some teenagers shouldn’t mind too much.

however the windows are high up and pretty small so it can feel quite dark in here and if you’d like to sit three

people’s side by side it’s a bit more of a squeeze than other cars in this class.

boot space is also a little small when compared against its rivals it does have

a wide opening but it tapers towards the rear which makes loading bulkier items.

slightly challenging only exacerbated by this high boot lip which you can’t get

rid of because there’s no adjustable floor you can however falter it seats.

down to create more space but you are then left with a hefty step another irritating feature

the CHR comes from one of the most reliable car brands however it’s more

expensive to buy the many of its rivals and the entry-level 1.2 petrol is not as fuel-efficient as the basic versions of

the attacker for example plus it won’t hold on to its residual values very well either.

the hybrid chr makes much more financial sense it will cost you less in company car tax than many diesel rivals and the

heavy fuel consumption figure of 75 miles per gallon is certainly very

appealing although in our experience in real world tests that’s much more likely to be around 50 miles per gallon entry.

level icon versions of the CHR are your best bet and they come with everything

you’re likely to want including jaws ow climate control 17-inch alloy wheel automatic lights and wipers and adaptive

cruise control the other two trims named excel and dynamic and extra features but get pretty pricey the CHR is a mixed bag

while it’s decent to drive and generously equipped the fact it isn’t cheaper to buy and offers comparatively less interior space just stops it from troubling those class leaders for plenty more on the CHR including our full.