Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Scion C-HR concept looks just like Toyota’s European version. Riding high on 21-inch wheels, the C-HR has a blacked-out roof with a coupe-like curve, echoing the so-called reverse baseball-cap look of the Mini Coupe. Swept-back headlights extend from the flat nose onto the flared front fenders. Out back, boomerang-shaped taillights bookend a concave tail. The car’s name stands for “Compact size and High Ride height.”
The car rides on the TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) modular platform that’s also used for the 2016 Toyota Prius. It will compete with subcompact crossovers like the Nissan Juke, Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade, Mazda CX-3, and Chevrolet Trax. Outlining its market positioning, Scion says the car’s name is intended for “the young urban creatives who inspired the design.” The company says that customers it surveyed find most modern crossovers “too boring” and wanted a car “that sparked emotion.”
The C-HR will be Scion’s first-ever crossover and follows the launch of the new iA subcompact sedan and the iM compact hatchback. Scion says that other mechanical details and equipment information will be announced closer to the car’s on-sale date next year. A production version of the Scion C-HR is slated to be introduced early in 2016.
