cars news 10: Production Toyota C-HR Compact Crossover Looks Sharp in Geneva

Toyota pulled the wraps off the production version of the C-HR today in Geneva. The letters stand for Coupe High Rider and are affixed to Toyota’s long-awaited entry into the crowded compact crossover segment.

Built on Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA), the production C-HR looks surprisingly bold, with little lost from the concept that debuted at the Paris auto show in September of 2014. Radically creased side surfacing with pronounced fender bulges give it a powerful, muscular stance. A blacked out roof and high-mounted rear door handles give this four-door an admittedly coupe-like look. Large, triangular rear taillights integrated into a substantial deck, give a racy-looking rear view.

With an aggressive execution of the Toyota brand’s corporate face, and headlights that stretch back toward the A-pillar, the C-HR draws immediate comparisons to Nissan’s category-defining Juke.

The C-HR likely won’t be as space-compromised as the Juke, however; at 171.1-inches long, the C-HR is 8.7 inches longer than the Nissan.

There is no word yet on what powertrains the U.S. will get when C-HR arrives in spring 2017, but we do know it likely won’t be the 122-hp 1.8-liter gas-hybrid system or the 115-hp 1.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder available in other markets. Transmissions for these European models include a six-speed manual and a CVT available in both front- and all-wheel drive versions. No matter what combination is chosen, Toyota claims to have emphasis not only on aggressive design, but segment-best driving dynamics, steering, and handling.

European C-HR will be built in Turkey, though a U.S. sourcing strategy has yet to be determined. The folding of the Scion brand back into Toyota delayed C-HR a bit, as the CUV was originally intended to debut in America as a Scion.