Toyota C-HR S Hybrid Expert Review

The first-generation Toyota C-HR was never designed to disappear into traffic, and the S Hybrid retains that aggressively styled personality while keeping the specification relatively straightforward. The sharply sculpted nose, narrow lighting elements, high shoulder line and coupe-like roof give the C-HR a much more dramatic appearance than its compact dimensions suggest.

For the 2022 S Hybrid, Toyota fitted 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/60 R17 tyres, giving the S a little more sidewall than the G's 18-inch setup. That is useful in Bangladesh because extra tyre sidewall can be helpful around potholes, broken surfaces and aggressive speed breakers.

The S uses LED headlamps, LED clearance lighting and LED rear combination lamps, while the more expensive G receives higher-grade lighting equipment. The S also gets electrically folding heated mirrors, a rear spoiler and rear wiper.

The 4,385 mm body is compact enough for Dhaka streets, while the 1,795 mm width gives it a planted stance. The 140 mm ground clearance is the main consideration for Bangladesh, particularly where roads are uneven.

Overall, the C-HR S looks much more expensive and dramatic than its entry position in the C-HR hybrid range suggests.

Exterior highlights

• Aggressive coupe-SUV styling
• LED lighting
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Heated folding mirrors
• Rear spoiler
• Compact urban dimensions
• 140 mm ground clearance

The C-HR S Hybrid's cabin is more functional than luxurious. This is where the difference between S and G becomes obvious. Toyota gives the S a black interior with fabric seats and a urethane three-spoke steering wheel, whereas the G receives more premium upholstery and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The dashboard has an unconventional, driver-focused design, with the centre section angled toward the occupants. The hybrid instrument cluster provides the information you need without becoming unnecessarily complicated, while the e-CVT makes the car particularly easy to operate in heavy traffic.

Front-seat space is good for a compact crossover, but the rear is less impressive. The high window line and dark interior can make the rear compartment feel enclosed, while the sloping roof limits the sense of openness. Rear passengers will also notice the absence of dedicated rear AC vents.

For Dhaka use, the cabin's strongest quality is its ease of driving rather than outright spaciousness. The seating position gives you a useful view over traffic, controls are straightforward and the automatic climate-control system is well suited to Bangladesh's hot weather.

C-HR S Hybrid is not a stripped-out base model. Toyota gives it the equipment necessary for modern daily driving, while leaving several premium features for the G and optional packages.

You get automatic climate control, power windows, central locking, cruise control, electric parking brake, brake hold, split-folding rear seats, LED exterior lighting and 17-inch alloy wheels. The hybrid-specific instrument display also makes it easy to understand how the powertrain is using petrol and electricity.

Infotainment depends on the exact Japanese-market configuration, but the 2022 C-HR lineup supports an 8-inch Display Audio system with Bluetooth, USB connectivity and smartphone integration including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The most important distinction is what you do not automatically get. A panoramic-view monitor, Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and parking-support systems were available as options rather than being universal S-grade equipment.

Safety is one of the strongest areas of the C-HR S Hybrid. Toyota equipped the 2022 model with Toyota Safety Sense, giving the S access to a comprehensive collection of active-safety technologies.

The system includes Pre-Collision Safety with pedestrian and cyclist detection, Lane Tracing Assist, Automatic High Beam, Radar Cruise Control and Road Sign Assist. These systems are particularly useful on highways, where maintaining a safe distance and staying centred in a lane can reduce driver workload.

The conventional safety package is equally comprehensive. Driver, passenger and side airbags, ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, traction control and S-VSC are standard. Toyota also includes front seatbelt pretensioners and force limiters, rear three-point belts and a reinforced collision-safety body.

However, you should not assume every S has a 360-degree camera or blind-spot monitoring. Toyota lists BSM, panoramic-view monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and parking-support braking separately as optional equipment.

C-HR S Hybrid is fundamentally an urban-friendly crossover rather than a performance machine. Its 1.8-litre 2ZR-FXE petrol engine works with Toyota's hybrid motor and e-CVT, producing smooth and immediate low-speed response.

The official petrol engine produces 98 PS and 142 Nm, while the hybrid system provides the additional electric assistance that gives the car its characteristic smoothness. The commonly quoted 0–100 km/h figure is around 11 seconds, with a top speed around 170 km/h.

In Dhaka, the powertrain makes more sense than those numbers suggest. The electric motor helps the car move away from traffic lights smoothly, while the e-CVT avoids conventional gearshift interruptions. In crawling traffic, the C-HR feels relaxed rather than busy.

The suspension uses MacPherson struts at the front and a double-wishbone arrangement at the rear, giving the C-HR a more sophisticated chassis than its size might suggest.

On highways, the car remains stable and predictable, although acceleration at higher speeds is not its strongest attribute. The 140 mm ground clearance also means you should approach large speed breakers carefully.