Toyota reveals higher-riding hybrid Corolla to tackle small SUV rivals

September 16, 2014 by Alastair Sloane

A SUV based on the Toyota Corolla will be aimed at rivals like the Nisan Juke, Holden Trax, Mitsubishi ASX and Ford EcoSport – but whether it is one and the same as the camouflaged car pictured here is yet to be confirmed.

Toyota has announced it will unveil its C-HR hybrid (above) crossover concept at next month’s Paris motor show. It says the car will point to its approach to the small SUV segment, adding: “The concept combines a bold new design language with an agile, engaging driving experience and a hybrid powertrain.”

A teaser image of the C-HR shows the silhouette of a high-riding hatchback with a rear spoiler and tail-lights similar in design to the Lexus SUV family. Spy agency Automedia says the shape looks like it could belong to the camouflaged Corolla (Corolla is known as Auris in Europe) pictured here in the Nurburgring circuit in Germany.

The Automedia photographers said the test car rode higher and on bigger wheels than the standard Corolla. “That in combination with what appears to be off-road type bumpers and a front end that could hide a facelift for the entire Corolla range leads us to think this is a new Corolla variant,” said Automedia.

The hybrid powertrain used in the C-HR could turn out to be the same used in the Prius C which combines a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 54kW/111Nm with an 45kW/169Nm electric motor. The new crossover is not expected to go on sale until 2017, but it is likely to offer front- and all-wheel drive.

French carmaker Renault has won the 2025 European Car of the Year award with the all-electric R5 supermini (pictured). It’s the brand’s second win in a row, following the new Scenic’s gong in 2024. The R5 led the vote count from start to finish from the 60 jurors in 23 countries. It received 353 points, beating the Kia EV3 (291 points) and the Citroen C3/e in third place with 215 points. It’s Renault’s eighth win in the 62-year history of the Coty award. The R5 goes on sale in the UK this month. There are two main drivetrains: a 90kW motor/40kWh battery model with a 300km range, and a 112kW/52kWh example with a 400km range. The R5 starts in price at £22.995, or $NZ50,000.

BMW and Mercedes-Benz are among carmakers urging the European Union to get a favourable trade deal with US President Donald Trump. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) wants to keep open trade with both the US and China. It fears Trump, who promises heavy tariffs on Chinese imports to the US, will look unfavourably on countries that continue to trade freely with Beijing. Ola Kallenius, president of the group and chairman of the management board of MB, said in a letter to EU leaders: “Overall, it is essential to recognise that trade with China and the US is most vital for the prosperity of the European economy.The EU should seek a grand bargain with the US and attempt to avoid a potential trade conflict.”

A go-anywhere EV concept for the US military uses an onboard 12kW diesel generator to top up the batteries on the move. The all-wheel-drive has 800-volt technology and a 200kWh battery pack to power three electric motors, two in the rear and one up front. Claimed output is 745kW/15,590Nm, or 1000hp and 11,500 ft-lb of torque. The four-seater was developed by the defence division of General Motors and is based on the platform of the Hummer SUV. It rides on Fox performance shock absorbers and 37-inch tyres and comes with “exceptional” approach and departure angles for off-road mobility. Maximum range using the generator to keep things ticking over is said to be around 500km.

The outside temperature in Midland, Texas, was 40.5C when staff at the local office of the US National Weather Service set out to show the cabin of a closed car can literally get baking hot in summer. They mixed up a batch of chocolate chip cookies and laid them on the car’s dashboard – the surface of which showed a temperature of 87.7C. A little over four hours later the cookies were ready to eat. “Even though ours weren’t golden brown, we can confirm that they are done and delicious,” the staff wrote on Facebook.