Toyota has brought back the C-HR, and it has come back in a big way — as a sleek, powerful all-electric automobile.
The 2026 Toyota C-HR XSE all-wheel drive I recently tested is manufactured in Japan and is one of three new Toyota battery-electric vehicles. My test car was finished in an attractive Tandoori exterior with a Midnight Birch interior. It is a beautiful automobile — smart, sleek and very sporty looking.
Under the hood — or more accurately, under the floor — are two electric motors producing a combined 338 horsepower. The front motor produces 167 kilowatts and the rear motor 88 kilowatts. A 74.7-kWh lithium-ion battery provides an EPA-estimated 273 miles of range, and Toyota rates the C-HR at an impressive 112 MPGe combined.
This is one quick little car. It is nimble, corners beautifully and has a remarkably short turning radius. With all-wheel drive and 338 horsepower, it almost has the feel of a sports car. It simply scoots down the road.
Toyota has packed the C-HR with safety equipment, including Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, pre-collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and eight airbags. My XSE also had 20-inch gunmetal-finished wheels, LED headlights and daytime running lights, a panoramic roof and JBL premium audio.
The suggested retail price of my test vehicle, including its options, was $43,429. The Cold Weather Package is particularly worth considering for Colorado drivers.
My one real observation came while driving into the Colorado mountains on a hot, rainy day. With the air conditioning, radio and windshield wipers operating, I watched the estimated electric range drop surprisingly fast. Toyota makes no secret of the fact that weather, terrain, speed and use of accessories can affect electric range.
Coming back down the mountain, regenerative braking put some energy back into the battery. The rain had cleared enough that I saw a beautiful, vivid rainbow stretching across the metropolitan area. I would have stopped to take a picture, but I was on E-470. It was one of those little Colorado moments that made an already enjoyable drive even more memorable.
That experience reinforced my belief that electric vehicles are particularly attractive for people who commute around town, charge at home and don’t regularly make long trips. You can drive right past the gasoline station and simply plug in at home.
For someone who regularly travels long distances through the Colorado mountains, however, I still find a hybrid reassuring. Having an internal-combustion engine available when the battery is depleted provides a flexibility that many drivers will appreciate.
But there is no question that electric automobiles have come a long way, and Toyota has made a very impressive entry with the new C-HR.
I didn’t find anything I disliked about this car. It is attractive, efficient, powerful, nimble and loaded with safety features. I think Toyota has made a smart move bringing back the C-HR as an electric vehicle, and I expect this new line of Toyota electric automobiles to be very successful.
The C-HR is a fine automobile — and a pretty good indication of where Toyota believes the automobile business is headed.