Toyota confirms compact EV for Australia: More affordable Toyota C-HR BEV on the way to fight BYD Atto 3 and Geely EX5 … but don’t rush your dealer just yet

November 14, 2025November 18, 2025

John Mahoney 4392 Views C-HR BEV, Toyota, Toyota C-HR BEV

Toyota has finally green-lit its all-electric Toyota C-HR for Australia, but the small entry battery-powered SUV won’t land Down Under until the middle of 2027 at the earliest.

Slotting into Toyota’s growing line-up beneath the facelifted midsize bZ4X and flagship bZ4X Touring that’s due in the first half of 2026, the new Toyota C-HR measures in at 4520mm long, making it a little larger than the current Corolla Cross hybrid (4460mm).

It will be the fourth Toyota EV on-sale in Australia as the HiLux BEV ute is scheduled to launch in H1 2026.

What we don’t know is how cheap the 2027 Toyota C-HR will be when it lands, but it’s been tipped the Toyota entry EV will be priced above both the BYD Atto 3 (from $39,990 before on-road costs) and the Geely EX5 ($40,990 plus ORCs).

Toyota Australia has confirmed that the C-HR will be available in two trims but will skip the entry 57.7kWh battery offered in Europe.

It will only come to Australia with the larger 77kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery pack that offers a range of up to 609km on the European WLTP test cycle.

The bigger battery will be combined with a single front-mounted e-motor that will produce 165kW and 269Nm of torque for a 0-100km/h dash of 7.3 seconds.

It’s not known yet if we’ll get the option of the flagship dual-motor version that produces 252kW and gets all-wheel drive for a quicker 0-100km/h sprint of just 5.2 seconds.

The fastest C-HR can also still cover up to 546km before it needs plugging in.

DC fast charging is rated up to 150kW, with AC charging available at a rate of up to 22kW.

Enhancing the speed of top-ups is a standard battery pre-conditioning feature, while an onboard heat pump will boost real-world efficiency.

Within, the C-HR EV will combine a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster with a 14-inch infotainment and a head-up display. Dual wireless chargers and a panoramic roof will also be available.

Currently, the second-generation Toyota C-HR is already available Down Under as a hybrid priced from $45,440 plus on-road costs for the base GXL, while the range-topping GR Sport costs $57,390 (plus ORCs).

It’s tipped the new EV will be priced from around $57,000.

In Europe the EV version carries the C-HR+ badge, highlighting both its EV powertrain and larger SUV proportions, as it sits on a different e-TNGA platform to its combustion cousin.

That approach has been ruled out for Australia, with it keeping the regular C-HR name.