The crossover market is so dominant that some automakers will stretch their brand identities to include more crossovers in their lineup. Consider Toyota: for more than a decade, it has been a steady, unassuming, massively successful automaker. Their cars are safe, reliable, and predictable—the default standard for many car buyers. If Toyota cars were music, they’d be played in elevators. You can maybe remove Toyota’s trucks from the equation, but boring success will remain Toyota’s raison d’être (until they bring back the Supra).
So, it raises eyebrows when Toyota kicks a door in with an aggressive design. Even though the crossover market is crowded and heavily competitive, there’s always room for something new and different. When Toyota trotted out the C-HR in North America for 2018, it ticked “different” off the list immediately. Broad, low to the ground, yet trim and sleek from nose to haunches, the C-HR was an obvious departure from the conservative design concepts of the mega-selling RAV4 or Camry.
In its conception, the C-HR is an urban crossover: a small SUV/large hatchback for transporting people and a limited amount of their gear around cities and suburbs. Its dual nature—splitting the difference between hatchback and SUV—was obviously in mind when Toyota’s designers and engineers named the vehicle. If you settle in and do a little research online, you’ll find at least three explanations as to what its name represents. It might be Cross Hatch Run-About, Coupe High-Rider, Compact High-Rider, or something else entirely—take your pick.
What is this thing?
While Toyota lists the C-HR as a “subcompact crossover SUV,” a jury of any imaginary automotive court would unanimously judge the vehicle as a big hatchback. And that’s a good thing. Toyota already offers the RAV4, the Highlander, and the 4Runner—before the real beefy SUVs muscle up the line with the Sequoia and the Land Cruiser. The C-HR is another example of how the worlds of crossovers and hatchbacks are coming together. Their marriage all but wiped the station wagon from the market by offering the same level of functionality with more aesthetic appeal.
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