The C-HR Returns to Toyota’s Lineup as Its Newest EV

Toyota’s nascent electric vehicle lineup just doubled. The automaker announced that it would resurrect one of its recently departed nameplates to adorn the second of its alphanumeric, battery-powered offerings. The new 2026 Toyota C-HR BEV will slot beneath the brand’s existing EV, the bZ (previously known as the bZ4X), which was just overhauled for the upcoming model year as well.

Some key stats up front: The C-HR will use a 74.7 kWh battery to power a standard all-wheel-drive powertrain that produces a combined system output of 338 hp. Range is estimated at 290 miles, and Toyota says the little runabout can scoot to 60 mph from a standstill in around five seconds. The platform is Toyota’s familiar e-TNGA architecture, which also underpins the bZ.

As for how the two Toyota EVs relate to one another, the C-HR is smaller than the bZ in key metrics like wheelbase (108.3 inches vs. 112.2 inches, respectively) and overall length (177.9 inches vs. 184.6 inches, respectively). Although the two share the same system hp ratings, we expect the chassis tuning to be more sports-oriented on the C-HR than on the bZ, likely making the former feel like the more athletic offering. Pricing will be announced closer to the model’s launch, but we’d expect the C-HR to ring in lower than the bZ, as well.

Toyota will offer two trim levels for the C-HR: SE and XSE. Recall from the new Camry that any trim involving an “S” tends to lean sporty, while any trim involving an “L” tends to lean luxury. (Unsurprisingly, the bZ offers just XLE and Limited trims going forward.)

The C-HR SE’s features list will come pretty stacked from the get-go, with 18-inch wheels, a power liftgate, rain-sensing wipers, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, a 14-inch central touchscreen, a JBL audio system, and a few other niceties. The XSE, meanwhile, will build upon those features with 20-inch wheels, a powered passenger seat, digital rearview mirror, SofTex (Toyota’s easy-cleaning synthetic leather) and suede-trimmed seats, as well as a panoramic view monitor camera system to ease squeezing into tight parking spaces.

The new 2026 Toyota C-HR will arrive in dealerships nationwide sometime next year.