Toyota C-HR EV

Toyota is reviving its CH-R SUV for the 2026 model year, but with one major change — the C-HR is ditching its previous gas engine for a set of electric motors.

The Toyota C-HR Returns as a Sporty Electric Crossover

Toyota is expanding its line of electric vehicles with a new compact crossover for the 2026 model year. Given its focus on green, it’s no wonder that Toyota is recycling a previous nameplate for its latest EV; it’ll be called C-HR, the name of a gas-powered small SUV that was discontinued after the 2022 model year.

The latest C-HR has a decidedly sporty flair. In fact, the compact EV will be available exclusively in Toyota’s sport-oriented SE and XSE trims.

Both versions of the C-HR come standard with dual motors (one for each axle) and all-wheel drive. Combined system output is a muscular 338 horsepower, netting an estimated zero to 60 time of around 5 seconds. To put that into perspective, the CH-R will be Toyota’s third-quickest vehicle, trailing only the GR Supra and GR Corolla sports cars.

A 74.7-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack provides juice for the C-HR’s electric motors. Additional hardware includes an 11-kilowatt onboard AC charger and a North American Charging Standard (NACS) port. That means the C-HR can recharge using Tesla’s Supercharger network. It's also capable of topping off its battery using Level 1 and Level 2 AC power sources.

Toyota estimates the C-HR's electric driving range will be 290 miles. If you need more range while on the go, a DC fast-charging station can replenish the new EV’s battery from 10% to 80% in around 30 minutes.

A Racy Exterior Design to Match Its Performance

The C-HR is sleekly styled with a sloping roofline, making it look almost like a coupe from the side. Low-profile roof rails, standard across all grades, further enhance the C-HR’s hunkered-down look.

The new car uses Toyota’s latest “hammerhead” front-end design language, which you may recognize from the newest versions of the Prius and Camry. It consists of squinty LED daytime running lights, high-mounted headlights, and a smooth panel where you’d otherwise expect a grille opening.

The C-HR SE rolls on 18-inch wheels with black alloy inserts, while the XSE gets larger 20-inch gunmetal finished wheels. If you’d like your C-HR XSE to stand out with even more style, it’ll be available in two-tone paint schemes.

The C-HR is 177.9 inches long. That’s within a couple of inches of the Toyota Corolla Cross and about 7 inches shorter than the bZ, Toyota's other electric SUV.

Inside, C-HR Stands for Comfortable, High-Tech, and Refined

For a small vehicle, the C-HR’s interior is surprisingly big on features. The kind of soft-touch materials you’d typically expect in a premium vehicle are used throughout the cabin, and standard equipment includes customizable ambient lighting, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual wireless chargers, USB-C ports in both rows, and seats upholstered in a combination of fabric and SofTex synthetic leather. The XSE trim ups the ante with memory for the driver’s seat, an eight-way power-adjustable passenger’s seat, a digital rearview mirror with a universal garage door opener, and SofTex and synthetic suede-trimmed seats.

The C-HR’s standard sound system has six speakers, but audiophiles will want to upgrade to the optional JBL Premium Audio system. It boasts an eight-channel 800-watt amplifier that powers nine speakers, including a 9.0-inch subwoofer.

Both grades of the C-HR ship standard with a digital gauge cluster and a central 14-inch infotainment touchscreen that’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible. Toyota’s Connected Services are also aboard, which include Cloud Navigation, Destination Assist, and Intelligent Assistant. The latter is a trick feature that allows the driver to control vehicle functions like cabin temperature and audio controls via voice command, prompted by saying, “Hey Toyota.”

Toyota hasn’t released interior dimensions for the 2026 C-HR, but the company promises “spacious accommodation, with generous headroom and ample cabin space.”

With C-HR, There’s an App for That

All C-HR models will come with a 3-year trial of Remote Connect through the Toyota App. Remote Connect allows owners to control a wide range of vehicle functions from their smartphone, including activating the headlights, sounding the horn, setting the cabin temperature, and even activating the heated steering wheel and seats.

Remote Connect also has remote charging capabilities. Using the Toyota App, you can check your C-HR’s charging status, start or stop charging when the vehicle is plugged in, and edit pre-set charging schedules.

A Sweet Suite of Safety and Driver Assistance Tech

The C-HR is equipped with Toyota’s latest active safety and driver assistance technology, Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. It includes dynamic radar cruise control, lane-tracing assist, lane-departure warning with steering assist, road sign assist, automatic high-beam headlights, and a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection.

Other safety features include a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert and safe-exit alert. The latter is a neat technology that detects if a vehicle or cyclist is approaching from the rear of the vehicle. If the system thinks an open door could cause a collision, it’ll give visual and audible alerts to those in the cabin.

Toyota even thought of battery safety in the C-HR. There are redundant monitoring systems for the battery’s voltage, current, and temperature, and the pack’s cooling system is designed to prevent thermal events in case of a short circuit.