In the first of the new "Star Trek" movie reboots, we are introduced to a very young and not-yet-captain James Kirk, played by Chris Pine. He is a diamond in the rough — lots of potential not yet actualized.
The Toyota CH-R is like that — literally. Well, almost.
Its body was designed to look like a diamond, faceted and polished, according to Toyota. It also sits almost as low to the ground as a sports car (5.9 inches of clearance) and doesn't offer all-wheel drive, even though it's marketed as a crossover SUV.
But unlike a sports car of comparable size, the subcompact C-HR has more cargo room than a full-size sedan.
It also has two full-size rear doors, something that the Hyundai Veloster three-door, similar in concept, hasn't got.
This makes it practical as well as edgy-looking.
But it hasn't got much under the hood — unlike the Veloster — notwithstanding the influence of Deputy Chief Engineer Hiro Koba, who races in his spare time and helped develop the C-HR's handling bona fides.
What It Is
The C-HR is a five-door subcompact hatchback that's generally similar to other small crossovers like the Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V but has more in common with sporty hatchbacks like the Hyundai Veloster.
Its practicality is expressed (as in the Veloster) by offering back seats and ample room for cargo rather than all-wheel drive and snow-day ground clearance, which both the HR-V and the CX-3 offer.
Base price is $20,995 for the base LE trim. A top-of-the-line Limited costs $26,050.
What's New
2018 was the C-HR's first year; for 2019, the number of trims has been expanded to include the new base trim LE and top-of-the-line Limited. Last year's XLE trim carries over as the new mid-trim of the 2019 vehicle.
All trims now come standard with Apple CarPlay, and navigation is available, but only as an option with the Limited trim.
What's Good
She's fun to drive ... once you get her rolling.
It has better access to the back seats than the Veloster.
The new-for-'19 LE trim costs less than last year's base XL trim.
What's Not So Good
Lots of show, not much go.
The back seat is much tighter than that in rivals, including the Veloster.
Navigation isn't available with the base LE or XLE trims. To be able to order it at all you have to spring for the new Limited trim, which costs more than last year's top-of-the-line XLE trim.
Under the Hood
All C-HR trims come standard with the same drivetrain, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 144 horsepower paired with a continuously variable transmission and front-wheel drive. This combo gets the little Toyota to 60 mph in a bit over 10 seconds and EPA ratings of 27 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.
This performance and mileage are competitive with that of the Honda HR-V (zero to 60 mph in the same 10-something seconds; 141 horsepower; EPA ratings of 28 mpg city and 34 mpg highway) and the Mazda CX-3 (148 horsepower; 29 mpg city and 34 mpg highway).
But the Hyundai Veloster offers as much as 250 horsepower and much better performance from its 1.6-liter turbocharged engine.
On the Road
Toyota conceived the C-HR as primarily an urban runabout, which explains the edgy looks without the performance goods. At low speeds and in stop-and-go driving, the horsepower deficit isn't noticeable or objectionable. But you do notice — and may object — when you find yourself on a merge ramp trying to get up to speed with fast-moving traffic.
The CVT makes the car sound more underpowered than it is; it's the nature of the beast. Floor it and the engine runs to high RPMs and is held there by the CVT, which doesn't upshift into ever-higher gears like a conventional automatic. If you keep your foot down, which you may find you need to, the RPMs will stay up until you back off the accelerator pedal.
A manual transmission would make this car much more fun, and less noisy.
At the Curb
This one looks different, which is appealing in its own right given how same-same crossovers look.
But the back seat is tight. It has just 31.7 inches, less than the 39.3 inches in the HR-V (which is slightly smaller overall) and the 35 inches in the CX-3 (also smaller overall).
But the C-HR's cargo capacity, 19 cubic feet behind the back seats and 36.4 cubic feet with the seats folded, is tremendous for its size. For perspective, the Toyota Camry sedan, which is almost two feet longer overall, has a 15.1 cubic-foot trunk.
The Rest
It's good that Toyota added Apple CarPlay to the C-HR's roster of standard equipment — wireless connectivity being as expected in new cars as ashtrays once were. But Toyota might give thought to making the GPS system that's currently only available with the most expensive Limited trim at least optional in the other trims.
The Bottom Line
There's nothing wrong with the C-HR that another 30 horsepower, or a turbo, wouldn't fix. Maybe Koba-san has that in the works ...
Eric's new book, "Don't Get Taken for a Ride!" is available now. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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