2026 Toyota C-HR Road Test and Review

2026 Toyota C-HR ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

While the market for $100,000 full-size pickup EVs and loaded luxury SUV EVs has taken a hit with the recent elimination of the $7,500 EV federal tax credit, some automakers continue to move forward with smaller and more affordable electrified entries aimed at younger, eco-conscious urban and suburban dwellers with greater access to DC fast charging. The sporty 2026 C-HR joins the recently refreshed bZ, bolstering Toyota's lineup of small crossover battery electric vehicles with prices starting in the under-$40,000 space. Among competitors in the segment are the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia Niro EV, Nissan Leaf, Subaru Uncharted, Tesla Model Y, and the Volvo EX30.

Sizing Up the Reborn C-HR

Although Toyota’s newest EV entry sports the same moniker as the C-HR sold here from 2018 to 2022, you can wipe that model’s bog-slow performance and claustrophobic cabin from memory. Shown here wearing Toyota’s new pearlescent orange Tandoori body paint and optional black roof, the newest C-HR is surprisingly quick and sufficiently roomy for five. It exudes a sporty vibe with a sloping fastback roofline and not one but two rear spoilers, one at the rear edge of the roof and another just above the LED light-bar tail lamps at the bottom edge of the rear hatchback door. About 7 inches shorter nose to tail than the bZ small crossover it’s based on, the new C-HR nevertheless offers livable cabin and cargo space.

There are two trim levels: SE and XSE. Including the $1,450 destination charge, the “base” SE arrives at $38,450 with 18-inch alloy wheels, and premium features such as an 8-way power driver’s seat, power lift gate, heated front seats and steering wheel, a 14-inch infotainment screen, dual wireless phone chargers, faux-leather and cloth seat trim, low-profile roof rails, and front/rear parking assist. The $40,450 XSE upgrades to 20-inch alloys, an 8-way power front passenger seat, driver’s seat memory settings, synthetic suede and faux-leather seat trim, a panoramic view monitor, and access to optional content such as a premium 9-speaker JBL stereo and panoramic glass sunroof. The XSE is also available in two-tone (main body color and a black roof) paint.

2026 Toyota C-HR ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Power and Range

Adding muscle to the C-HR’s sporty looks are its standard dual electric motors delivering 338 combined system horsepower, 373 pound-feet of torque, and all-wheel drive. The SE model has a maximum 287-mile electric driving range while the XSE, with its more aggressive tires, gets an EPA-estimated 273-mile rating. On the efficiency scale, the C-HR falls in the middle of the pack in the segment with EPA ratings of 117 MPGe combined for the base SE and 112 MPGe for the more aggressively shod XSE.

When it comes time to recharge the C-HR’s 74.7 kWh propulsion battery, a standard NACS charge port makes DC fast charging easier with access to the extensive Tesla Supercharger network. An included NACS-to-CCS adapter enables fast charging at other Level 3 facilities such as Electrify America and EV GO stations. The C-HR has DC fast-charging capability up to 150 kilowatts and can go from 10 to 80 percent battery charge in as little as 30 minutes. Or, for example at home with the standard dual-voltage 120/240-volt AC charging cable, a 32-amp 240-volt AC power source, and 11kW onboard AC charger the C-HR can be juiced from low-battery notification to full charge in about 7.5 hours.

2026 Toyota C-HR ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Tech-Savvy Cabin

Unlike the Tesla Model Y which channels all driver interface decisions through a single screen that’s positioned lower and to the right of the driver’s view of the road, the C-HR rolls with a free-standing 14.1-inch center infotainment touchscreen positioned near the top of the dash and adds a Prius-like second 7-inch touchscreen in front of the driver for digital instrumentation, charge and power status, selected drive mode, and other driver information. The lower third of the center touchscreen also incorporates controls for the standard dual-zone automatic climate control, and heated front-seat and steering-wheel buttons. A pair of USB-C ports tucked away on the lower part of the center console handles media streaming and device charging.

Controls are logically placed and don’t force you to learn how to drive all over again. A rotary shifter dial on the center console has a nicely weighted precision feel. Also atop the console are not one but two wireless chargers for Qi-enabled cellphones. The C-HR has a dedicated start-stop pushbutton on the dash that lets the driver decide when the C-HR powers up and down, not a driver seat bottom cushion pressure switch as in Tesla, Volvo, Volkswagen, and some General Motors EVs. Steering wheel spokes include buttons for adaptive cruise control, driver’s screen selections, phone, and voice control, plus a pair of brake-regeneration paddles on the steering wheel.

2026 Toyota C-HR ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Infotainment and Connectivity

The aforementioned 14.1-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia touchscreen is sharp and bright with good-size icons and a handy rotary volume knob, but still no back button for undoing mistakes and no rotary tuning knob. Included is a 3-year trial of Drive Connect which brings Toyota’s excellent cloud navigation, Google Maps with continuously updated point-of-interest information, and “Hey Toyota” voice-control assistant functions. Also onboard is wireless access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for owners who prefer those popular no-charge services for maps, POI searches and voice control functions. Not available in the base SE which comes only with a six-speaker system, the XSE test vehicle was equipped with a rich-sounding JBL nine-speaker premium audio system which pleased with clear fidelity and separation. The Toyota Multimedia system also comes with a 3-month trial of SiriusXM and a 1-month taste of AT&T onboard 4G Wi-Fi.

2026 Toyota C-HR ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Settling In

Looking especially natty in two-tone gray, the C-HR’s brushed, matte-finish dash gives off a clean and modern vibe. The XSE upgrades from the SE’s fabric and faux-leather seat coverings to ones with velvety-soft synthetic suede inserts. The heated, form-fitting front buckets are welcoming, offering just enough lower-torso, thigh, and shoulder lateral support without interfering with ingress and egress. Both SE and XSE get a grippy, heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel and an eight-way power driver’s seat, with the XSE adding an eight-way power front passenger seat. Front seat headroom and legroom are generous.

Also generously proportioned is the C-HR’s wide, two-level center console. Its two cup holders feature spring-loaded fingers that can grip a wide range of beverage container sizes. The covered storage cubby under the center armrest is dual-hinged, meaning that it can be opened to either the driver’s or front passenger’s side, aiding access to the contents therein. Taking advantage of the flat floor due to the lack of the transmission and driveshaft tunnel found in gas-powered vehicles, there’s a floor-level storage tray under the top level of the console with a 12-volt power outlet. Driver-selectable 64-color ambient accent lighting bathing portions of the dash and door panels helps keep long night-time slogs more interesting. A panoramic fixed-glass sunroof, optional on XSE, helps promote your Vitamin D production during the day and interstellar introspection at night.

2026 Toyota C-HR ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Adult-Rated Back Seat

Provided back-seaters aren’t NBA forwards, the C-HR’s 60/40 rear bench can handle three adults. Although the bottom cushions are a bit low, my 6 foot, 2 inch frame slid in back there just fine. Thanks to the EV’s flat floor, the middle seat position isn’t a penalty box, although with just four passengers aboard, dropping the rear seat’s center armrest and its pair of cup holders ups the comfort quotient. The C-HR’s sporty sloping roof doesn’t have much of a negative effect on rear headroom. Rear seat passengers also get their own climate-control vents and a pair of charge-only USB-C ports. Part of an optional XSE Cold Weather package that also includes headlamp washers are derriere-warming heated outboard seat cushions.

2026 Toyota C-HR ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Sufficient Cargo Space

The re-imagined 2026 C-HR offers a full-size sedan-like 25.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat. My backpack easily nestled back there, and it looked like there was room for at least four more under the standard cargo security cover. The C-HR’s cargo bay opens up to a mountain-bike-swallowing 59.5 cubic feet of space with the 60/40 rear seat folded flat. Also, as the C-HR doesn’t have a spare tire, there’s concealed stash space available under the cargo floor where the AC charging cable is stored for a camera or computer bag or purse. Access to the cargo compartment is via a standard power lift gate door.

2026 Toyota C-HR ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Staying Safe

The new C-HR rolls with a full suite of safety and advanced driver-assistance tech. In addition to eight airbags and a backup camera with trajectory lines, the C-HR gets the latest and greatest Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0) content, including a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection and emergency automatic braking, adaptive cruise control with lane-centering, lane-departure alert with steering assist, automatic high-beam control, road-sign assist, and proactive driving assist which uses sensors to slow the C-HR for upcoming curves and slower vehicles ahead. Also included is a blind-spot monitor with steering assist and rear cross-traffic with automatic braking, a safe-exit alert, as well as front and rear parking assist with automatic braking.

Moving up to XSE adds Traffic Jam Assist (a low-speed hands-free cruise control), a lane-change assist feature to the adaptive cruise control, and upgrades the basic backup camera to one with a panoramic view that gives an overhead view of the C-HR and its immediate surroundings. The panoramic view camera alone is worth upgrading to XSE trim, as that feature is not available on the less-expensive SE model.

2026 Toyota C-HR ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

On the Road

With 338 horsepower and gobs of instant electric torque on tap from its dual motors, the new C-HR is a lively performer. Toyota gives an official 0-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds, but the C-HR feels livelier than that. Quiet and quick around town, the sporty crossover had no trouble zipping up freeway ramps to blend with 70 mph traffic and overtaking slower traffic was an easy toe-tap away.

Steering is quick and accurate, even with the standard all-season tires, although there’s not much in the way of effort buildup in corners. The C-HR delivers a comfortable ride with good body control. Although there’s some lean in corners, the C-HR is composed and stable on the highway with the large, underfloor propulsion battery imparting a low center of gravity feel. Road noise is minimal.

When it comes time to stop, the large-diameter 12.9-inch front/12.5-inch rear vented disc brakes offer confidence-inspiring response. The regenerative braking is adjustable via steering wheel paddles to four levels of intensity, which can be a boon in uneven traffic flow as the C-HR starts to slow down the instant the driver backs off the accelerator. But even in the most aggressive setting, the driver must apply the foot brakes to bring the C-HR to a complete stop.

2026 Toyota C-HR ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

The Affordable Sporty Crossover EV

Sporty-looking and with plenty of standard tech to make driving easier and safer, the all-new 2026 Toyota C-HR is a fresh new face in the small crossover EV space. Its smallish footprint eases parking and maneuverability in urban and suburban environments without overly compromising cabin and cargo space. Power and torque from the standard dual-motor, all-wheel-drive EV powertrain is impressive, especially at this price point. Also quite good for this class is the C-HR’s driving range, although DC fast-charging could be faster. The 2026 Toyota CH-R is a good value among the growing number of small EVs.

2026 Toyota C-HR ・ Photo by Ron Sessions