Toyota Chisels Compact SUV Latecomer With ‘Sexy Diamond’ Design
- New C-HR compromises on cargo space to stand out with styling
- Toyota benchmarked drive dynamics against VW Golf, Ford Focus
Toyota C-HR.
Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Toyota Motor Corp., years late to the compact SUV party its peers have been enjoying worldwide, is showing up with jewelry-inspired looks.
The new C-HR model’s designers applied a “sexy diamond” theme inside and out, from the sharply sloped rear window to the rhombus-patterned door trim, chief engineer Hiroyuki Koba told reporters Wednesday in Tokyo. Never mind that the Lady Gaga-channeling looks of the polarizing new Prius have had a hard time winning over buyers in the U.S., Koba said. Small sport utility vehicle shoppers are different and seek out distinctive styling.