Toyota Is Releasing A New (And Stylish) EV, But Is It Already Set To Fail?
Toyota has resurrected the C-HR nameplate for a new EV. A little while ago, Toyota announced that the C-HR was back in electrified form for the European market, but a press release confirms that it is coming stateside in 2026. Behind the bZ4x, the latest and greatest C-HR is only the second EV released by Toyota.
The bZ4x, along with its inordinate name (shortened to just "bZ" for 2026), was certainly a valiant effort by Toyota to enter the EV space, but it was a little lackluster when it came to specifications — at least compared to other electric cars. Even now, the 2025 model only has 252 miles of range. When most new EVs in the same segment have 300 or more miles of range, 250 miles doesn't cut the mustard.
Does the new C-HR fall into the same pitfall? Not quite, but Toyota still has a ways to go if it wants to sit at the electrified table with brands like Hyundai, General Motors, or even Tesla. The new all-wheel drive dual-motor powertrain generates a pretty beefy 338 horsepower, and the 74.7 kilowatt-hour battery gives it a range of upwards of 290 miles, according to Toyota. That's certainly a step in the right direction.
Is Toyota's offering enough for EVs?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and while the old C-HR wasn't hard to look it, it was certainly funky. The new C-HR plays it safe with styling, sticking to Toyota's existing design language. It's a nice looking crossover to be sure.
On the inside, depending on how you spec it out, it's available with all of the features one would expect from a modern Toyota crossover: Including JBL speakers, Toyota's Safety Sense driver assistance technology, and a 14-inch infotainment screen. Toyota says the 2026 C-HR has 25.4 cubic feet of storage space behind the last row of seats. That puts it just ahead of the Toyota Corolla Cross, which has 24 cubic feet of space.
Toyota has not announced the price of the C-HR, and that could be one of the biggest determining factors for to the model's success. If the price is right, drivers might not mind a little less range. However, if it's too expensive, then there aren't a lot of compelling reasons to opt for the Toyota over other brands with a more established EV lineup. Still, Toyota's reputation for legendary reliability and solid build quality might attract a few buyers and existing Toyota fans. Either way, Toyota says it will arrive in 2026 — no word on when exactly.