2021 Toyota C-HR GR Sport revealed, Australian potential unclear

Toyota Europe has revealed the athletic-looking C-HR GR Sport, due to go on sale in the region at the beginning of 2021.

A Toyota Australia spokesperson said: “We would not rule out the introduction of GR Sport products to the Australian market in the future, but we have no announcements to make today on this”.

We know from previous conversations the company is prioritising full-fat GR performance models to begin with before the more “all show no go” GR Sport variants.

Like the Corolla GR Sport before it, the C-HR GR Sport picks up an array of styling and equipment enhancements for a sportier look and feel, as well as new personalisation options.

Headlining details include new alloy wheel designs, piano black exterior accents, exclusive bi-tone paint options and new interior upholsteries and trimmings.

There’s also sportier bumpers, ‘GR Sport’ badging, darkened headlight surrounds, and the exclusive option of Dynamic Grey paint and black roof.

Inside there’s the choice of Alcantara/leather or fabric seat trim with red and grey contrast stitching, a perforated leather steering wheel with red stitching, model-specific scuff plates, GR logos throughout, and a GR start-up animation for the driver’s TFT cluster display.

Rounding out the headline appointments are model-exclusive 225/45 R19 Continental Premium Contact 6 tyres with new 19-inch alloy wheels, as well as re-tuned suspension and steering systems – Toyota claims these changes result in “improved yaw resistance and less understeer”.

In Europe the C-HR is available with a 90kW 1.8-litre hybrid or 135kW 2.0-litre hybrid powertrains, the former already offered in Australia solely in high-spec Koba trim.

According to Toyota Europe, the C-HR has sold more than 400,000 units in the region since its introduction in 2016.

Beyond the new trim level, Toyota Europe is introducing new Safety Sense assist features that have already been released in Australia.

The autonomous emergency braking system picks up enhanced pedestrian and cyclist detection as well as Intersection Turn Assistance. Lane Trace Assist helps to centre the vehicle in its lane, while the adaptive cruise control feature now reads and adjusts to road signs.

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