Toyota C-HR has always been known as a crossover SUV with a radical exterior design and hybrid powertrain. However, the SUV, which is based on the company’s TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) platform is not available in the domestic market. It seems like the Japanese auto giant is now planning to launch the car India, as it has been spotted testing on the Bengaluru roads.
It’s highly unlike that Toyota will bring the C-HR to India anytime soon and we are expecting at least a two year gap between the first spotting in India and the actual launch of the product. The all-new Toyota Corolla with hybrid powertrain is also based on the TNGA platform and will come to India earlier than the C-HR.
Earlier in April, Toyota unveiled an all-electric version of its C-HR crossover at the Beijing Motor Show. The C-HR EV is part of the Japanese automaker's pledge to deliver 10 electric cars to the Chinese market by the end of 2020.
Arriving in 2020, the C-HR electric vehicle is only planned for the Chinese market at the moment. It was unveiled with two new versions of the Corolla and Levin plug-in hybrid saloons that will land in 2019. In 2020 the carmaker will also be opening a new battery testing facility in China.
Last year, Toyota sold an impressive 140,000 electrified vehicle in China, which is probably partly why it plans to raise its production capacity for nickel-metal hydride battery units to 220,000 units in 2020. On the other hand, there’s hardly any market for hybrid cars in India, let alone the all-electric cars. That’s why Toyota would like to wait and the see the market evolve.
Toyota currently sells the Camry Hybrid and Prius Hybrid in India, making it the only manufacturer with 2 hybrid cars in India. Toyota revealed recently that it's working on making solid-state batteries -- allow more energy to be stored than their lithium-ion equivalents -- commercially viable for vehicles by the early 2020s. If successful, this could be a game changer for electric vehicles.
As for the Toyota C-HR hybrid for India, it will be powered by the 1.8-litre petrol engine and an electric motor with a combined 122hp output.
With Inputs from AFP Relaxnews
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