Toyota C-HR Triumphs as the Parkers New Car of the Year

The Toyota C-HR has seen off all comers to take the overall New Car of the Year title in the Parkers New Car Awards.

Success for the sharply styled crossover proves that desirable design doesn’t have to be at the expense of convenience and practicality. With the Toyota C-HR, Toyota is signalling the end of the worthy-but-dull family car, a fact further emphasised by the model carrying off the “best small family car” category honour as well.

The judges agreed Toyota C-HR had the edge on its rivals for the top prize because of its “involving drive, futuristic yet practical design, low cost engine options and long, five-year warranty”.

The awards directly reflect the opinions of Britain’s car buyers, with winners chosen according to the preferences of the 2.9 million people who use the Parkers.co.uk website when considering a new vehicle purchase.

Keith Adams, Parkers Editor, said: “The Toyota C-HR is a brilliant example of how the most functional of family cars can be spiced up with exciting detail, thoughtful touches and intelligent design to become a true game-changer. The Parkers.co.uk team love the way it drives and so, it seems, do the younger buyers who are now flocking to Toyota dealers.”

The Parkers review team were impressed by the Toyota C-HR, hailing it as a “highly accomplished crossover” and admiring its “well-built cabin” and “genuinely eye-catching styling”. In sum, they considered it to be a “hugely compelling family car”.

Paul Van der Burgh, President and Managing Director of Toyota (GB) said: “It’s particularly rewarding for the new [Toyota] C-HR to be named car of the year, as Parkers is such a respected and established resource for car-buyers in the UK. We’re committed to putting the customer first and it’s clear people really like the new [Toyota] C-HR – a crossover that looks great, is enjoyable to drive and comes with all the long-lasting quality and reliability expected of a Toyota.”

Engineered on a Toyota New Global Architecture platform, Toyota C-HR delivers radical, contemporary looks and a sweet-handling chassis. These qualities come in addition to the everyday usefulness, efficiency and safety customers require. All Toyota C-HR models are equipped as standard with Toyota Safety Sense active safety and driver assistance systems, helping it secure the top five-star rating in Euro NCAP testing.

The option of a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain adds another dimension of appeal, delivering strong fuel economy, low emissions to help safeguard air quality and a smooth, quiet and refined drive. Certainly the option of Toyota’s latest-generation petrol-electric hybrid system is helping power Toyota C-HR’s market success, commanding around 70 per cent of sales.