Family Car Review: 2024 Toyota C-HR Hybrid

How big is the boot of the 2024 Toyota C-HR Hybrid?

The 2024 Toyota C-HR Hybrid's boot is a practical size for families and holds ten shopping bags from empty. Which is the same as the previous model C-HR and comparable to the Kia Stonic, Ford Puma and Mazda CX-3 which all hold ten shopping bags and the Hyundai Venue and Volkswagen T-Cross which both hold eight shopping bags.

The Thule Sleek, future-proof, multi-configuration pram with a single seat…

…will fit in the 2024 Toyota C-HR Hybrid's boot with two shopping bags.

The Thule Sleek, future-proof, multi-configuration pram with two sibling seats…

…will fit in the boot of the 2024 Toyota C-HR Hybrid with two shopping bags.

The Thule Sleek, future-proof, multi-configuration pram with a single seat and bassinet beside it…

…will fit in the boot of the 2024 Toyota C-HR Hybrid with the parcel shelf removed with two shopping bags.

The Thule Urban Glide 3 single is the ultimate all-terrain stroller…

…with the back wheels off, it will fit in the C-HR boot with two shopping bags.

The Thule Spring, lightweight and one-handed folding stroller…

…fits in the boot of the 2024 Toyota C-HR with four shopping bags.

The 2024 Toyota C-HR's boot can also accommodate a 70L and two 40L Thule Chasm duffle bags.

You can transport a small to medium-sized dog in the boot of the 2024 Toyota C-HR.

How good is storage in the 2024 Toyota C-HR?

In the front of the 2024 Toyota C-HR Hybrid, the central console has two cup holders, each holding a reusable or disposable coffee cup. Behind the cup holders is a good size central console box.

In front of the cup holders are two phone pads, one for wireless charging. There is a USB socket for charging there too.

The glove box in the 2024 Toyota C-HR will hold an iPad and wallet with the manual and there is a shelf in the dashboard that's good for storing a phone.

Rear storage is minimal in the Toyota C-HR, but it's good! With no fold-down armrest in the central seat back, there are no cup holders in the usual position. But wait! The rear doors have cup holders in them (yippee)! They are just at the right height for kids to easily reach them, too! They'll hold a kid's drink cup, coffee cup, or water bottle.

There is a single map pocket on the back of the front passenger seat only. That is large enough to hold and conceal an iPad.

How noisy is the 2024 Toyota C-HR Hybrid, and how easy is the media screen to use?

Being a hybrid the Toyota C-HR is not a noisy car, it starts nice and quietly which makes the school run a little calmer!

The 2024 Toyota C-HR has a clear media screen that is easy to navigate. It also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which make it easy to access your phone's navigation, podcast, music and messaging apps.

The media system is easy to use and you navigate it using the right-hand bar.

You can customise a lot of things, including the sound, which is great for sound sensitive kids.

The 2024 Toyota C-HR GR Sport AWD tested. here has a built-in Sat-Nav.

You can watch the hybrid system's power distribution while driving, which my kids love!

When you put it in reverse, the camera images are nice and clear. 

The climate and heated seat controls are on the main dash below the media screen. This fixed position makes them easy to use and change while driving.

The 2024 Toyota C-HR's indicator sound is not too loud, so it did not disturb my kids while they were sleeping in the back.

The windows and doors in the 2024 Toyota C-HR are not too loud or noisy to open and close, and they do not baby-wake!

Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!

That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.

If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?

It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?

A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.

Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.

The 2024 Toyota C-HR Hybrid is a relatively quiet and smooth drive, and there are no real baby-waking noises.

How many child/baby seats can you fit in the 2024 Toyota C-HR Hybrid?

When it comes to installing child seats in the 2024 Toyota C-HR, there are ISOFix points in both outer rear seats.

They are within plastic guides, nice, easy to connect to, and clearly labelled.

All three rear seatbacks have top tether anchorages, which are clearly labelled and easily accessible through the boot in slits of the seat back fabric.

The rear seats of the C-HR are quite compact. I found two child seats fit nicely in the back, and when we needed to carry a friend's 8-year-old, she could just squeeze in between them.

Legroom is quite tight back here, but we found that with these forward-facing child seats installed, a 186cm driver or front passenger could sit in front of them.

The C-HR has no rear air conditioning vents, so rear passengers have to rely on the front vents to keep them comfortable. We found we had to turn them to full, which is quite noisy while driving. There is a USB socket in the back of the central console box for charging rear passengers' devices. 

There is room to insert Bub into their child's seat from outside the car and from inside, and there is room to feed Bub in the back if only one child seat is installed.

Australia being a country of weather extremes- blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!

How comfy is the 2024 Toyota C-HR Hybrid?

There are no air conditioning vents in the back of the Toyota C-HR, so keeping rear occupants comfortable can be tricky. However, there is a USB-C socket in the back for charging their devices.

The upholstery is suede and pleather panels throughout the 2024 Toyota C-HR GR Sport. The front seats are equally as comfortable and upholstered in the same way.

There are four air-conditioning vents across the front of the dashboard, two horizontal ones below the media screen and a round one at each end of the dashboard.

The air-con controls are below the media screen and are really easy to access and use while driving.

Visibility is limited in the 2024 Toyota C-HR; even with two child seats installed in the back, the windows are small, so visibility is minimal.

The 2024 Toyota C-HR is small so parking is easy, the cameras in the top-spec GR Sport version tested here also help to make maneuvering and parking easy.

One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually, I dread parking in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Toyota C-HR is very easy to reverse park!

How safe is the 2024 Toyota C-HR Hybrid?

The 2024 Toyota C-HR Hybrid has been given a five-star ANCAP safety rating, scoring 88% for child occupancy protection and 85% for adult occupancy protection.

Of the 2024 Toyota C-HR Child Occupancy Testing, ANCAP wrote:

In the frontal offset test, dummy readings indicated GOOD protection for all critical body areas of both child dummies, except the neck of the 10 year dummy where protection was rated as ADEQUATE.
GOOD protection is offered to all critical body areas of both child dummies in the side impact test, and full points were scored.
The Toyota C-HR is fitted with lower ISOFix anchorages on the rear outboard seats and top tether anchorages for all rear seating positions.
An indirect child presence detection (CPD) system, which provides an alert when a child may have been left in the rear passenger seats of the vehicle, is fitted as standard.
Installation of typical child restraints available in Australia and New Zealand showed GOOD results and the Toyota C-HR scored full points for this assessment.

Eight airbags are standard:

Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting airbags and a driver knee airbag are standard. A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard.

The 2024 Toyota C-HR Hybrid comes with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – car-to-car/vulnerable road user/pedestrian/back-over/cyclist/motorcycle/junction, AEB junction (pedestrian/cyclist/motorcycle) and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – crossing. automatic emergency call (eCall), blind spot monitor (BSM), child presence detection/alert, cyclist door detection/alert, driver monitoring system – indirect and direct, forward collision warning (FCW), lane departure warning (LDW), lane keep assist (LKA), LKA (Car-to-Car), LKA (Car-to-Motorcycle), secondary / multi-collision brake, speed assistance – intelligent adaptive cruise control (iACC) and speed sign recognition and warning.

Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub’s asleep!