G. David Felt

I understand and feel sad for the death of the cars from GM, but understandable by GM to focus on the greatest demand. If they only built a quality car, they could probably be very profitable even with a lesser number sold, but constant demand. I like this two-tone over the blah all black crap interiors. With that said, I look at this and see a very dated interior with tight space in comparison to proper made EVs and Tesla is in this same camp, terrible interior space for an EV. My gut tells me that they probably could build a better spacious ICE car but would not with the long-term direction of where we will eventually end up unless the Idiots in DC truly destroy the U.S. with their ignorant Tariff war that is going to put this whole country in a serious depression.

Toyota has stated that it is cheaper to build AWD than to deal with FWD and AWD which I find interesting, but they have taken this AWD approach in China and Europe. So will be interesting to see what happens with the C-HR. I suspect as much as Idiot47 wants to kill the IRA plan, it would require the House and Senate to agree, and too many red states have billions invested in this for plants, jobs, etc. At this point I doubt the rebate will go away as much as 47 wants it too. GM gets that Bolt out at the $30,000 starting price for a FWD version and with the IRA instant rebate, it will end up selling well but then it will be going up against this as an AWD and a couple thousand dollars difference, I think many will go with AWD over FWD. As long as 47 is in office, China will not get into the U.S. market, but after 2028 all bets could be off. Update: Thinking on this, Subaru version Solterra is AWD only, Toyota bZ is AWD, but will have a later release FWD version and now the C-HR is AWD to start. This makes it possible since all 3 EVs are built on the same platform to offer a cheaper FWD later as you stated @smk4565. So I am thinking they could have a mid $25,000 to $27,000 FWD version before the IRA rebate is applied giving a true cheaper and better equipped EV than Tesla and very competitive with GM Bolt. My one question is Tesla is falling behind by not moving the Y and 3 or the S and X to 800V systems, will GM or Toyota move to 800V on their entry level EVs or keep them 400V. I think 400V but far more feature rich than Tesla. Much like Kia EV3 is now a confirmed 400V feature rich Subcompact competing in this space already.

Considering this is an entry level CUV for Toyota, I suspect the pricing on this will be low $30,000 to start which for the features will hit a sweet spot for Toyota. Be interesting to see how this does against the Koreans and U.S. auto companies.

Interesting read, but I have to disagree with the story that auto companies are going away from AA/AC as GM lost my business due to not embracing this and auto companies are so slow to update and keep their software current, so hard pass on this. Another reason why Rivian fell off our choice as we loved the auto, but the lack of AA/AC was a deal breaker for the wife. It required her to learn another new tech interface that she has no interest in doing, she already has everything setup the way she likes on her cell phone. I feel that GM is being used to make a blanket statement that all are going away from it when I am not seeing that. The Real Reason Automakers Are Ditching Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Unlike GM, Ford should have taken the bankruptcy and dumped a ton of debt. Ford is in trouble and I do not see them having an easy way out with all the debt and recalls.

The year is 2018, Toyota introduced the C-HR to the North American market with a futuristic look, lots of tech goodies for the time but sluggish acceleration that after five years had it end in 2022 with a 144hp motor mated to a CVT or continuously variable automatic transmission that based on reviews said it struggled to achieve a combined 29 MPG in FWD form. Fast Forward to 2025, Toyota debuts the all-new C-HR electric vehicle with standard AWD, 338 combined HP and range of an estimated 290 miles from a 74.7 kW battery pack and built on the Toyota e-TNGA platform. The 2026 C-HR will come with class leading soft touch materials, customizable lighting and a 14-inch touchscreen with fast charging from 10 to 80% in 30 minutes using an NACS port. The C-HR has a five-person configuration with a 60/40-fold flat rear seat allowing up to 25.4-cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. While the C-HR rides on the same platform as the bZ, the C-HR is 4 inches shorter than the bZ and gets a fastback coupe-style rear-end. While the bZ gets a variety of motor choices, the C-HR as stated has only AWD with the combined 338 HP that allows 0 to 60 sprints in 5 seconds, which is 1.1 seconds faster than the Toyota GR86 gas car. The C-HR will come in two models, the SE and XSE with a wide assortment of standard interior features. 14-inch touchscreen with the latest Toyota Audio Multimedia system six-speaker audio system standard Optional - JBL Premium audio system with nine speakers, 8-channel 800-watt amplifier, 9-inch JBL subwoofer Standard Android Auto and Apple Carplay Fully digital gauge cluster Dual wireless chargers in the center console Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 system Includes a 5-year subscription to Safety and Service Connect Vehicle Stability Control Traction Control Anti-lock Brake System Electronic Brake-force distribution Brake Assist Smart Stop technology Rain-sensing wipers Heated front seats and steering wheel Three USB-Type C ports (one front, two rear) Front and Rear Parking assist with automatic braking Blind spot monitor Cross Traffic Alert Safe Exit Alert 8-way power drivers and passengers' front seat on XSE Driver Memory seat on XSE Digital rearview mirrow with homelink XSE Traffic Jam assist XSE Lange change assist XSE Panoramic view monitor XSE The 2026 C-HR will come to North America Dealerships Q1 2026 and be covered by a 36-month / 36,000-mile for normal wear and tear warranty, 60-month or 60,000 miles powertrain and no mileage limitation on corrosion. The electrical driving components, including the battery pack are covered by 8-year or 100,000 miles whichever comes first. The C-HR also comes with 2-year or 25,000 miles ToyotaCare factory scheduled maintenance and 3-year roadside assistance, with no mileage limitation. Pricing and final details will be released close to the on-sale date.   View full article

Toyota has been late to the EV or electrical vehicle market around the world. Toyota finally launched a full lineup in China, but people have been wondering what they have in store for the rest of the world. Welcome the 2026 bZ battery electric vehicle. The bZ starts off the 2026 model year with a higher capacity lithium-ion battery that comes in at 74.7-kWh capacity good for a manufacture-estimated range of 314 miles. Toyota then packs on the updated features as you have an industry standardized NACS charge port that allows access to the Tesla Supercharger network. Toyota goes farther by adding a Plug & Charge capability that allows this industry standard protocol to automatically identify, authenticate, and authorize at select charging networks, reducing the need for multiple mobile charging applications to one in the Toyota smartphone app. Charging goes from 10% to 80% in 30 minutes when using a DC fast charger. The 2026 bZ gets an updated instrument panel that is 14-inch in size and is an audio multimedia touchscreen with customizable ambient lighting. The interior changes continue with a much slimmer dashboard that has dual wireless chargers, soft touch materials throughout, 64-color customizable ambient lighting allowing for a premium feel through the interior. Toyota did not stop on refreshing the interior and battery pack. They increased the combined horsepower of the AWD system from 214 to 338 net hp allowing for the EV to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. The upgrades continue in that Toyota changes to lightweight energy-efficient eAxles that now use silicon carbide (SIC) semiconductors that contribute to the new horsepower rating of the AWD system and even the FWD system that has gone from 201 hp to 221 hp. Toyota offers both the XLE and Limited trim in FWD or AWD configurations. Last year's model had what many called a quirky style, Toyota has restyled the exterior. The front-end has new lighting and fascia designs along with color-matched overfenders that used to be black plastic only giving the bZ a sleeker look. 2026 bZ will arrive in the second half of 2025 with pricing and full details released closer to on-sale date. View full article