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After the banishment of a once popular, youthful brand, Scion was not about to go out without doing one last hoorah. But before they could release their jazzy sub-compact crossover, Toyota closed those Scion doors and snatched up their R & D files on what was to be the C-HR. The thing was, Scion was all about offering a car one way and one way only, leaving the consumer to their own creative ways,t and back in 2018, when this polarizing high-rising hatchback was released by Toyota, it wasn’t very “Toyota” like as it was only offered in one form with an optional package. After a couple of years on the market now, the C-HR has been made a little more Toyota friendly with new trim levels, standard equipment, and a whole lot of appealing safety tech.

Now offered in three trim levels: LE, XLE and Limited, the diverging presence of this cute-ute remains intact as well as its inexpensive state of mind with the LE starting at $21,295. Updated with a heavy dose of new tech and premium attributes, the revamp presence of this quirky crossover sees a fresh front outlook with updated LED headlights and bumper styling. Advancements to the stature of the Limited at $26,350 and the C-HR sees sophistication as it incorporates adaptive swiveling LED head lights with LED fog- and indicators. The original C-HR wanted to represent the Scion brand well as it featured huge stylish rims; now in the hands of Toyota, the LE incorporates 16-inch wheel covers with the option to upgrade to 17-inch alloys; however, XLE and Limited models get their own pair of stylish 18-inch shoes.

From before, most of the funky interior elements remain the same. Technology is the biggest benefactor here as we see a larger, more clearer 8-inch touch screen display with updated Entune 2.0 software as well as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. Our featured Limited took on the reins of its badge a little too seriously as it features a more premium-esc cabin with upgraded leather seats that are heated and power controllable on the driver side.

Distracting driving is ever more prevalent than before and as Toyota implements more standard safety equipment into their vehicle line-up, the C-HR is next in line to receive the latest and greatest of Toyota Safety Sense Plus. All available trim options come standard with full-speed adaptive cruise control, forward collision alert & braking, pedestrian detection, road sign mitigation, lane departure warning with assist and automatic high beam assist. The XLE and Limited models take it up to the next level with blind-spot monitoring and rear-cross traffic detection – this will be a must have considering blind spot visibility isn’t exactly the greatest due to its odd physique.

The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and CVT automatic transmission continues to be the only available powertrain option on the C-HR. While other brands see all-wheel drive options, Toyota keeps things simple by leaving this crossover as a front-wheel drive only vehicle. If all-wheel drive is preferable, luckily the larger RAV4 will offer that option. At 144-horsepower, we won’t exactly consider this ute speedy. With 0-60-mph in about 11-seconds, parents can rest easy knowing their pubescent isn’t racing in the middle of the night. Containing low-end torque application, performance isn’t as reprehensible as we may be leading on. Around town, it develops quite a bit of spunk with peppy power presentation and enjoyable road traits. It’s power deportment works effectively for the day-to-day gaunt with adequate propelation to keep up with traffic and highway merging.

There are multiple drive modes available should one ever find it through the instrument cluster menu options. Keeping our mode to Normal, things were kept subdue. The handling is charming enough to enjoy a city round-a-bout and the suspension keeps the unwanted road annoyances to a minimum. Even the cabin space is quiet with minimum road noise. There is an Eco mode available, but we always find that tends to cause headaches – our around town driving saw an average of 24-mpg’s. With an EPA rating of 29-mpg combined, we missed the mark by quite a few mpg’s, but we’ll also chalk that result up to the fact that our highway encounter didn’t exceed more than 50 miles and our total time with the C-HR barely acquired 100 miles on the odometer.

Standing for Coupe, High-Riding, the C-HR isn’t exactly a coupe since it has four doors and a back seat that can actually fit humans. It may not be the preeminent sub-compact crossover on the market, but with its spunkiness and latest updates in technology and safety, it sure earns enough points our book.

VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS

Model: 2020 TOYOTA C-HR
Trim: LIMITED
Starting Price: $26,350
As Tested: $28,860
Color: SUPERSONIC RED & BLACK ROOF

PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 2.0-LITER FOUR-CYLINDER
Horsepower/Torque: 144-HORSEPOWER / 139 LB-FT TORQUE
Transmission: CVT AUTOMATIC
Drivetrain: FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE
Fuel Economy: EPA RATED: 27-CITY / 31-HWY / 29-COMBINED
AS TESTED: 23.4 MPG COMBINED
Fuel Range: 250 MILES
0-60 MPH: ±11.0 SECONDS