It’s Back, and Now All-Electric: Introducing the 2026 Toyota C-HR

The Toyota C-HR has returned. This time around, though, it’s not a front-drive quirky crossover that was a quasi-replacement for the Paseo coupe. This time, it has four doors, AWD as standard, and 290 miles of range. That’s right, the 2026 Toyota C-HR is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) — Toyota’s second fully electric mainstream model in the US after the bZ.
Old C-HR Was an Oddball and a Sales Slouch
If you don’t remember the original C-HR, don’t worry about it. The model arrived in the U.S. in 2017 and disappeared in 2022. It was an oddball subcompact crossover that looked like it only had two doors and never came with AWD. Unsurprisingly, it was more successful in Europe and Asia, where it got a second generation in 2023.
This new electric model is much larger at 177.9 inches long with a 108.3-inch wheelbase. That makes it about 7 inches shorter than the Toyota bZ, or about 3 inches shorter than a RAV4 with a wheelbase 3 inches longer. So, it should end up roomier than the RAV4, though the roofline will cut into cargo and headroom.
A pair of electric motors, one front and one rear, delivers 338 horsepower. That’s more than double the old front-drive C-HR, and more than any RAV4.
Toyota C-HR Promises 290-Mile Range
Thanks to a 74.7kWh battery, the same as the new bZ, the C-HR promises up to 290 miles of range. It will have an NACS charge port to use Tesla Supercharger stations, and Toyota says it will be able to charge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes.
Also like the bZ, the C-HR will have battery conditioning to get it to the right temperature for optimal fast charging. Toyota does not mention a heat pump, meaning that its electric range will suffer when you need to keep the cabin warm.
Toyota didn’t announce the price, but don’t expect it to undercut the $37,070 2025 bZ4X XLE model by much. That model is front-drive only and delivers a shorter range. For 2026, the bZ4X gets a new name, more range, a heat pump, and likely a higher price.
Big Screens & All the Driver Assists
The C-HR will come in SE and XSE grades. A 14-inch touchscreen is standard, along with a digital dash and twin wireless phone chargers. A power hatch is also standard. XSE will add 20-inch wheels, fake suede-trimmed seats, and a panoramic camera view.
Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard on the C-HR. It adds a full suite of driver aids, including pre-collision with pedestrian detection, lane departure alerts, adaptive cruise control, and road sign recognition. Blind spot monitoring is also included.
Expect the 2026 Toyota C-HR EV at dealers in 2026. Pricing of the new electric will come later, most likely at the same time it arrives at Toyota stores.
Read the full article here