Tag Archives: Toyota

NEW CARS

Toyota C-HR+: Pricing Revealed for the Brand’s New Electric C-Segment SUV

Toyota’s product rollout over the past year has been impressively broad. While attention has often been grabbed by the wild GR GT supercar concept, the Japanese brand has quietly strengthened its mainstream line-up with a series of family-focused models. Alongside the new Urban Cruiser, an updated bZ4X and the arrival of the all-electric C-HR+, Toyota is making it clear that electrification is no longer a side project.

Now, pricing for the C-HR+ has been confirmed, with UK sales commencing on 6 January.

Despite sharing its name with the familiar hybrid and plug-in hybrid C-HR, the new C-HR+ is effectively an entirely different vehicle. Under the skin it has little in common with its combustion-based siblings, instead giving Toyota a direct entry into the electric C-segment SUV class. That puts it up against key rivals such as the Skoda Elroq, Kia EV3 and Renault Scenic E-Tech.

Prices start at £34,495 for the entry-level Icon trim. This version is fitted with a 57.7kWh battery, delivering a claimed maximum range of 284 miles. Stepping up to the Design grade costs £36,995 and brings with it a larger 77kWh battery, extending the range to up to 376 miles. At the top of the range sits the Excel, priced from £40,995, which uses the same battery and offers the same range as the Design but adds a more generous standard equipment list.

Even in Icon form, the C-HR+ is well specified. Standard kit includes 18-inch alloy wheels, an 11kW onboard charger, and a familiar digital layout combining a seven-inch driver’s display with a 14-inch central touchscreen, also seen in the updated bZ4X. Inside, buyers get fabric and synthetic leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel and not one but two wireless smartphone charging pads.

The Design trim, which we’ve already driven, builds on this with the larger battery, an electric tailgate, tinted rear windows and the option of eye-catching 20-inch alloy wheels. Choosing the range-topping Excel brings further upgrades such as a 22kW onboard charger, powered driver’s seat adjustment, synthetic suede and leather upholstery, and an exterior parking camera. Additional safety systems are also included, notably front cross-traffic alert and lane change assist. Buyers can further enhance the Excel with an optional Premium Pack, which adds a JBL sound system and a panoramic sunroof.

Within Toyota’s growing EV line-up, the C-HR+ sits neatly between the Urban Cruiser and the larger bZ4X. It uses the same e-TNGA platform as the latter, despite its more compact footprint.

Measuring 4,520mm in length, the C-HR+ is 40mm longer than a Skoda Elroq, although the comparison doesn’t entirely favour the Toyota. The Elroq’s more upright shape allows for a significantly larger boot, offering 470 litres compared to the C-HR+’s 412 litres, a compromise brought about by Toyota’s coupe-inspired roofline. Despite being around 150mm longer than the hybrid C-HR, the electric model doesn’t feel especially spacious inside, particularly when judged against class leaders like the Skoda.

Powertrain options are broad. The entry-level C-HR+ uses a 165bhp front-mounted electric motor paired with the smaller battery. Models equipped with the 77kWh pack can be specified either with a 221bhp front-wheel-drive setup or a 338bhp dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, shared with the most powerful version of the bZ4X.

Performance figures reflect this range of outputs. The least powerful version completes the 0–62mph sprint in 8.4 seconds, while the more potent front-wheel-drive model cuts that to 7.3 seconds. Toyota hasn’t yet published official figures for the dual-motor C-HR+, but given that the bZ4X achieves 0–62mph in 5.1 seconds with the same hardware, a sub-five-second time seems likely for the smaller and lighter C-HR+.

Interestingly, despite offering all-wheel drive, the C-HR+ doesn’t inherit the X-Mode system found on the bZ4X and Subaru Solterra, which provides tailored settings for low-grip and off-road conditions.

Charging technology mirrors that of Toyota’s larger electric SUV. Battery pre-conditioning is now standard, either activated manually or automatically when a charging stop is set in the navigation system. Peak DC charging power is rated at 150kW, allowing a 10–80 per cent recharge in around 28 minutes. While not class-leading, it’s competitive enough for the segment.

With sharp styling, competitive range figures and a clear position in Toyota’s expanding EV portfolio, the C-HR+ looks set to become a key player in the brand’s electric future—provided buyers can overlook its tighter interior packaging when compared to some of its rivals.

Source: Auto Express

NEW CARS

Toyota GR GT – The LFA’s Spirit Reborn, With Twin Turbos and a Jolt of Electric Fury

For more than a decade, enthusiasts have been waiting—hoping—for a true heir to the Lexus LFA. Its screaming V10, carbon-intensive construction, and unrepeatable charisma cemented it as one of the most iconic halo cars of the 21st century. Now, Toyota’s performance wing, Gazoo Racing, claims the wait is officially over. Meet the GR GT, a ground-up supercar engineered with one mission: to channel the LFA’s legacy into something even more ferocious.

A New Formula for a New Era

Rather than chase nostalgia, Gazoo Racing has built the GR GT around three uncompromising targets:
the lowest possible center of gravity, the lowest possible mass, and the highest possible chassis stiffness.
Those principles form the backbone of a brand-new aluminum architecture designed to extract every ounce of performance from an equally new powertrain.

At the front sits a freshly developed 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, while the rear hides an electric motor mounted just above the axle. Together, they summon a combined 650 horsepower and 850 Nm of torque—numbers Toyota openly hints may creep higher by the time production begins. Power flows exclusively to the rear wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission.

This hybrid layout isn’t about eco points; it’s about instant torque, chassis balance, and lap-time consistency. And it’s born directly from Gazoo Racing’s experience developing the GR GT3 race car, which is launching in parallel for FIA competition.

Carbon Everywhere, Mass Nowhere

Toyota set an ambitious weight target, and it shows. Every exterior panel is crafted from carbon fiber, while additional carbon elements are worked into the braking system. The supercar rolls on ultra-light 20-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber, ensuring grip levels that suit its GT3-inspired hardware.

Toyota says the final car will tip the scales at under 1,700 kg, an impressive feat considering its hybrid system and sizable V8.

Low, Wide, and Ready to Strike

At 4.78 meters long and just 1.09 meters high, the GR GT sits lower than almost anything on today’s roads. Unsurprisingly, slipping inside feels like dropping into a race seat—because the seats are race seats. Recaro carbon buckets, bolstered aggressively and trimmed in premium materials, dominate the cockpit. Traditional Toyota branding steps aside in favor of bold Gazoo Racing badging, signaling that this machine belongs firmly in the performance sub-brand’s domain.

320 km/h, and That’s Just the Beginning

In road-legal form, the GR GT is targeting a top speed of 320 km/h. But the real story is its dual-purpose development path. Alongside the production car, Toyota has unveiled the GR GT3 racing version, a homologation-ready weapon set to compete worldwide. This isn’t a marketing gimmick—it’s proof that the road car was shaped with motorsports as its foundation.

A Proper Successor at Last

Toyota hasn’t tried to recreate the LFA’s magic; instead, it has evolved it. A hybrid V8 instead of a shrieking V10. Carbon construction refined by modern motorsports. A chassis sculpted by engineering priorities, not nostalgia.

If the numbers hold—and if Gazoo Racing’s GT3 work really bleeds through to the street version—the GR GT might not just be a successor to the LFA. It might become the supercar that defines Toyota’s performance future.

Source: Toyota

News

Toyota Teases a Trio of New Performance Machines Ahead of December 4 Reveal

Toyota has dropped a shadowy teaser for not one, not two, but three all-new sports models set to share the spotlight on December 4. The dimly lit preview hints at a bold future for both Toyota and Lexus performance, with what appear to be a new Lexus sports coupe and two flavors of Toyota’s upcoming GR GT supercar—one street-legal, the other track-hungry.

A New Era for Lexus Performance

On the teaser’s left side, a clean, sweeping silhouette looks suspiciously like the production evolution of the Lexus Sport Concept first shown in August. The two-door shape and futuristic light signature match the concept almost line for line, suggesting Lexus hasn’t strayed far from its show-car styling.

That original concept already bordered on production-ready, so expect the showroom model to retain most of its proportions while dialing back some of the wilder interior touches. The teaser hints at a textured rear glass panel, though there’s no confirmation yet on whether the concept’s more dramatic features—like roof-mounted fans, an illuminated fin, or the central F1-style brake light—will survive the transition.

While many expected this model to be fully electric, recent reports point instead to a GR-derived hybrid V8, developed specifically for Lexus. With an estimated arrival in 2026, the unnamed coupe appears aimed at replacing the long-serving LC, not resurrecting the legendary LFA nameplate.

Toyota’s GR GT Supercar Steps Into the Light

Front and center in the tease is Toyota’s new GR GT supercar, confirmed through a Japanese TV spot to be debuting at the same event. Compared to the Lexus, the Toyota wears a longer hood, conventional rear glass, and crisp full-width LED taillights.

A cherry on top: we’ve already seen its interior. Earlier previews showed a driver-focused cabin with a large infotainment display, tactile physical switches, and lightweight carbon-fiber bucket seats.

Under the skin lives something even more serious. Toyota says the GR GT will pack a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 paired with a self-charging hybrid system. Word is the combustion engine alone could produce around 800 horsepower, making this the most powerful Toyota ever—and, in many ways, a spiritual successor to the V10-powered Lexus LFA.

A GT3 Monster Joins the Family

Completing the trio is an all-out racecar that clearly shares DNA with the GR GT but takes the aggression up several notches. Spy shots and the prototype that stormed the hill at Goodwood match what we see here: vented fenders, a fixed rear wing, side-exit exhausts, a beefier diffuser, and a stance that sits inches closer to the pavement.

This is almost certainly Toyota’s upcoming GT3 competition variant, a follow-up to the 2022 GR GT3 Concept and built to take on premier GT3 series worldwide.

The Big Unveil

All three models will make their global debut on December 4 during a live-streamed reveal hosted by Toyota President Akio Toyoda and Chief Branding Officer Simon Humphries. If the teaser’s shadows are anything to go by, Toyota and Lexus are about to enter 2026 with a performance lineup that looks sharper—and meaner—than ever.

Source: Toyota