Toyota C-HR (New, Cheaper LE/XLE Trims Added for 2019)

Levi

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But the FT-4X is supposed to be more like a Jeep Renegade, if not even more off-road oriented, at least according to last interview I read. Maybe they can bring back the Toyota Urban Cruiser previously sold as Scion xD in the US?
 

ssun30

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But the FT-4X is supposed to be more like a Jeep Renegade

What's the 'but' part supposed to mean? What Toyota needs in this segment in the US is exactly a Renegade competitor.

The FT-4X is also supposed to debut a fully mechanical transverse 4WD system with low range. Here is hoping the system is scalable to the RAV4 and Highlander to give these vehicles some extra offroad capability.
 

Gecko

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^^Yes, considering the strength of SUV sales these days, developing a more traditional subcompact SUV just for NA alone can be justified. It's at least more justifiable than the Avalon or the Corolla Hatch. Go ask any Toyota dealer in U.S. if they want the FT-4X, they will say yes without even thinking.

Such a vehicle would probably be quite popular even outside of NA in markets like Australia, perhaps some of the African continent and South America as well. No idea how Europe would respond to something like FT-4X.

But the FT-4X is supposed to be more like a Jeep Renegade, if not even more off-road oriented, at least according to last interview I read. Maybe they can bring back the Toyota Urban Cruiser previously sold as Scion xD in the US?

Unibody but with traditional (upright) SUV looks and some off-road ready hardware like locking diffs and multi terrain select would be a great combination. This would be a big change for Toyota who has traditionally kept true 4x4 hardware for BOF models like 4Runner and Land Cruiser, but with how times are changing, I think FT-4X could bridge the gap between something like Rav4 and 4Runner very nicely.

This would outsell C-HR here probably 3/4 to one, depending on pricing.
 

ssun30

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Australia and Africa are hardcore BOF territory. The Renegade barely sells any over there. People are more likely to get used Hilux or Land Cruisers than buying new compact SUVs.
 

Joaquin Ruhi

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Australia and Africa are hardcore BOF territory. The Renegade barely sells any over there. People are more likely to get used Hilux or Land Cruisers than buying new compact SUVs.
A pity Toyota and its affiliate Daihatsu didn't make better use of its Terios/Rush to fulfill demand for compact BOF, RWD-based SUVs. The 3rd-gen Daihatsu Terios/2nd-gen Toyota Rush launched last November, while still RWD-based now seemingly use unibody construction and are more closely aligned to Toyota's "Innovative International Multi-purpose vehicle" project (IMV) for low-cost pickup trucks and multipurpose vehicles for Third World countries.
 

mikeavelli

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The LE offers a lot for the money, when its time for discounts it might be possible to get 20k OTD....
 

ssun30

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The C-HR is beating expectations in China. Wholesale figures for this month is 4,845 for the GAC C-HR. The take rate of the two-tone color option is 44%. Figures for the FAW Izoa should be available by the end of the month.

GAC's goal for this year was 3k/month and 5k/month next year. Eventually it should hit 8k/month as cheaper trim levels get introduced. But it seems they are already hitting next year's target just three months after introduction. And this is while the Chinese SUV market is heading to a -25% crash in sales.

Also going against the SUV crash is the Highlander, which sold 9,935 units for a 37% increase Y2Y. 87% of the sales are AWD at over ¥300k.

Overall we are seeing Toyota doing exactly the opposite of the industry in China. Their products are gaining sales while commanding higher prices than the competition. Their marketing campaign focused on build quality among the race to the bottom and consumers voted with their wallet. And a larger portion of their sales are higher (and thus more profitable) trim levels than the rest of the industry. Most people would say opt for a 1.4T VW Magotan or a 1.5T Accord, while most Camry buyers choose either the 2.5 or the Hybrid.

This is just the beginning. The long-term benefits of the quality gains from TNGA is definitely a step in the right direction. And I do hope Lexus can get a similar boost in popularity as well. Meanwhile the media can keep laughing at how 'ugly' Toyotas are.
 

ssun30

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BSCB posted Oct 2018 data on wholesale figures:
1. FAW-Toyota Corolla (27,775) +7% Y2Y
2. GAC-Toyota Levin (17,732) +16% Y2Y
3. GAC-Toyota Camry (14,394) +618% Y2Y
4. GAC-Toyota Highlander (9,935) +37% Y2Y
5. FAW-Toyota Izoa (6,801)
6. FAW-Toyota RAV4 (6,407) -40% Y2Y
7. GAC-Toyota Yaris-L Hatch (5,110) +17% Y2Y
8. GAC-Toyota C-HR (4,845)
9. GAC-Toyota Yaris-L Sedan (3,492) -19% Y2Y
10. FAW-Toyota Vios (3,364) -50% Y2Y
11. FAW-Toyota Crown (3,263) 0%
12. FAW-Toyota Prado (3,080) -24%
13. FAW-Toyota Vios FS (2,158) -24%
https://bestsellingcarsblog.com/201...on-track-for-first-annual-decline-since-1990/

So in total FAW delivered 52,848 vehicles while GAC delivered 55,508. IIRC this is the first time GAC overtook FAW to become the bigger Toyota producer.

One of the main driver of FAW's decline this month is reduction of the RAV4. The Izoa has certainlly taken a significant portion of the sales away from the lower RAV4 2.0 trims (they shouldn't be selling or producing this many now). I guess dealerships are pushing customers to the more profitable Izoa instead of barebones RAV4. Meanwhile GAC does not have any product for the C-HR to cannabalize.

Honda had some strange surge in sales on many models so the figures look significantly stronger. I will hold off commenting on that until BSCB post the retail figures because we know Honda dealerships are already in 'end-of-the-year' mode to hopefully make up for the Oil Gate debacle.
 
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spwolf

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One of the main driver of FAW's decline this month is reduction of the RAV4. The Izoa has certainlly taken a significant portion of the sales away from the lower RAV4 2.0 trims (they shouldn't be selling or producing this many now). I guess dealerships are pushing customers to the more profitable Izoa instead of barebones RAV4. Meanwhile GAC does not have any product for the C-HR to cannabalize.

When is new Rav4 going on sale in China?
 

Motor

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Honda HR-V finally gets a 1.5L Turbo in Europe
https://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2018/11/honda-hr-v-finally-gets-a-1-5l-turbo-in-europe.html
It seems that in certain markets the subcompact crossover is getting a turbocharged engine.

And that’s not just any turbo engine, but the same 1.5-liter engine that’s found in the Honda Civic. Making about 182 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque, this seems like a great way to rid the HR-V of the slow and boring stigma it currently has.

It seems like this turbocharged model does have a few caveats. It’s only available with front-wheel drive, although that means it can be equipped with a six-speed manual transmission or a CVT.

We’ve reached out to Honda America to see if they’re considering this move and will update the story accordingly.

Making more power now than the C-HR/UX.
 

ssun30

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That sounds genuinely weird. Who would be ever interested in a 182hp turbo gas-only subcompact SUV in Europe?
 

spwolf

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That sounds genuinely weird. Who would be ever interested in a 182hp turbo gas-only subcompact SUV in Europe?

They are trying anything to maintain sales and not lose their dealer network i guess... you can see how bad the situation is in Europe, when Mazda and Suzuki outsell Honda 2 to 1.

They sell around 140k vehicles per year in 27 countries vs 750k for Toyota.

They did try in last few years with some special diesel engines, it did not work out... Gotta build it for Europe and it likely does not make financial sense for them to go all in, hence product portfolio that is quite niche.
 

ssun30

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With over 12k sold this month the C-HR/Izoa duo has once again well outperformed expectations. Toyota was definitely too cautious with their targets, but luckily for FAW and GAC they overprovisioned capacity with a healthy margin. At the beginning 200k per year or 16k per month sounded totally ridiculous to me but now they are already using 75% of that capacity with only one third of the full lineup on sale.
 

spwolf

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With over 12k sold this month the C-HR/Izoa duo has once again well outperformed expectations. Toyota was definitely too cautious with their targets, but luckily for FAW and GAC they overprovisioned capacity with a healthy margin. At the beginning 200k per year or 16k per month sounded totally ridiculous to me but now they are already using 75% of that capacity with only one third of the full lineup on sale.


it will keep growing until factory is running fully plus it takes a bit for brand new model to get enough advertising for people to be aware of it... for instance C-HR sales in Europe are growing in the 3rd year on the market, which is great for Toyota and is actually product of people being aware that it exists vs before.
 

mikeavelli

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Seems this vehicle is selling like hotcakes everywhere except maybe here? Not sure of sales goals.
 

spwolf

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Seems this vehicle is selling like hotcakes everywhere except maybe here? Not sure of sales goals.

they seem right on target... and yeah, I would say it is most successful new Toyota vehicle since Rav4, worldwide.

And it is so un-toyota like vehicle, with disregard for practicality valued by people who buy Corolla's and Camry's and Rav4's.

I wonder if UX will go similar ways.