Toyota Prius and C‑HR: Revamped looks, stellar efficiency

Toyota Prius and C-HR are two of the pioneering models from this brand. They have reached new incarnations, moving a step forward in design while keeping an eye on their primary goal: fuel efficiency. However, this comes at a price.

The C-HR was Toyota's response to the Nissan Juke, which paved the way for a new segment - urban crossovers. It appeared on the market in 2016. Initially, it was a highly futuristic car, even somewhat controversial in design. The Toyota Prius is a slightly different story. It debuted in 1996 and was the first hybrid that defined the brand's future.

Their next generations prove that neither the C-HR nor the Prius will soon retire. And although the Japanese brand's portfolio is much broader today, both models still have a strong position in it. Toyota has sold 840,000 units of the C-HR in Europe alone, and the Prius has become iconic in the world of taxi drivers.

The Toyota C-HR and Prius show how designers learn from their mistakes. The Prius was never particularly handsome, but its latest generation is tricky to fault from a design perspective. It is streamlined, has a dynamic appearance, and even a touch of elegance. It also has a spacious interior featuring somewhat complex materials, which looks decent overall.

The Toyota C-HR has also had a visual upgrade. It still has an avant-garde look but is significantly cohesive with balanced proportions. The body is about 3 cm shorter, which has not reduced the wheelbase, and about 1.5 cm wider. The two-tone body adds additional slimness—visually shortening the rear doors and making them appear lighter. The body draws inspiration from the Toyota Yaris Cross and the new Prius—look at the shape of the front headlights.

Both models have completely redesigned front and rear fascias compared to previous generations. The front and rear lights are very slim, leaving plenty of smooth surfaces, and the air intakes—even though they are quite large in the C-HR—do not dominate. New in the C-HR is, among other things, a panoramic glass roof and ambient lighting in 64 colours.

Visually, both models have swapped a minor detail—the rear door handle hidden in the C-pillar is no longer a feature of the Toyota C-HR but of the new Prius. From a distance, this may give the impression of a coupe drawn by Italian designers.

The interiors of both models have also evolved. The Prius retains a somewhat eccentric style, but everything is in place. The steering wheel is low, and the gauges are mounted above it as a display. There are plenty of buttons on the steering wheel and a large "tablet" in the dashboard's center. There are also many compartments - smaller and larger - for the phone and small items you want to have at hand—large and deep cup holders. The interior is not exciting or even pretty, but quite ergonomic and spacious.

The seats are comfortable, not only for city driving (the suspension absorbs asphalt irregularities) but also for longer trips. The downside of the Prius is the poor cabin soundproofing, but it's not very noticeable at speeds up to 100-115 km/h. The trunk can hold quite a bit—it is fairly flat (due to the sharply sloping roofline) but spacious enough. Four carry-on suitcases will fit here without any problems.

The interior of the Toyota C-HR is more "classic" but still driver-oriented. The multimedia tablet in the dashboard's center has been redesigned, digital gauges have been added, and some compartments have been added. The premier version features characteristic yellow-gold stitching in the leather upholstery.

The second row no longer feels claustrophobic as in previous Toyota C-HRs. The window shapes have been changed and positioned lower, making it visually more pleasant. There is a decent amount of legroom, though not ample. The trunk is not very big. Choosing additional options, such as branded audio, takes up some space. In the extreme case, only about 311 litres remain. The base version of the C-HR offers a decent 396 litres of space behind the rear seat.

The Prius was never meant to impress with looks or comfort but with low fuel consumption. That's precisely why it has become one of the favourite models for taxi drivers, especially after installing LPG in a classic hybrid. The new generation is available on our market only as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) in the fifth generation. The electric motor takes center stage with its 163 HP and 207 Nm of torque available from the start. To that, batteries with a capacity of 13 kWh should be added. A calm pace and urban conditions allow you to travel for up to 70-80 km without fuel consumption. Solar panels on the roof can add a few extra miles a day - in the top equipment version.

Charging is done using a regular 230V outlet, as the Toyota Prius supports a maximum of 3.3 kW. Therefore, it doesn't make sense to connect it to paid AC 11 kW or faster chargers.

The fuel tank can hold 40 litres of gasoline. The plug-in Prius becomes a classic hybrid when the battery energy is ultimately used up. The electric motor will still default to turning on and taking over in traffic jams. You can also count on the four cylinders in a 2-litre engine with 151 HP. The Prius accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 7 seconds. In the city, with depleted batteries, you can expect about 4.5 L/100 km, similarly on the highway. On the freeway? About 6.5-7 L/100 km. I travelled to and from Krakow with a result of 5.5-6.5 L/100 km.

The fifth-generation hybrid system can also be found in the Toyota C-HR. This model has also gained all-wheel drive AWD-i, thanks to the second electric motor with 41 HP and 84 Nm of torque mounted on the rear axle.

The more powerful engine variant of the new Toyota C-HR offers 197 HP of system power and 206 Nm of torque in a 2-litre four-cylinder unit. Like in the Prius, the combustion engine is 152 HP and 190 Nm, while the two electric motors together provide 113 HP.

The C-HR can accelerate up to 180 km/h, reaching the first 100 km/h in about 8 seconds. However, Japanese engineers were more concerned with low fuel consumption and maximizing the use of the electric motor - it can work for more than 70 percent of the city's driving time. Fuel consumption? On average, about 5 L/100 km. In city traffic jams, we'll see a bit over 3 L/100 km on a quiet journey, a bit above 4 L/100 km.

The price level is no longer the same as at the model's debut. The price list for the new Toyota C-HR starts at around CAD 39,000 for the Comfort equipment version. However, the tested premium Executive Premiere Edition with all-wheel drive costs at least CAD 60,000 after a catalogue discount of CAD 2,400.

Meanwhile, the new Toyota Prius with a plug-in hybrid starts at around CAD 58,500 in catalogue prices. No other power units are available on the European market. The top Executive variant starts at around CAD 70,300.