Toyota C-HR VS Holden Equinox
Toyota C-HR
Likes
- Bold styling
- Interior layout
- Efficiency
Dislikes
- Visual bark over dynamic bite
- Expensive
- Rear space
Holden Equinox
Likes
Dislikes
Summary
Toyota C-HR
According to the chief engineer for the Toyota C-HR, a second generation was never guaranteed for this uncharacteristically (for Toyota) design-led small SUV.
After the Corolla Cross came into existence, the top brass didn’t think the brand needed two similarly sized models in the line-up. So, why is it here, and is it any good?
The first question is easy to answer - the team drew the new C-HR up as a European model, built in hybrid-only and with enough key differences from the Corolla Cross to avoid the models competing.Â
The second question? Let’s find out.
Read more about
- Hybrid-only! Toyota Corolla, Yaris and Yaris Cross to ditch petrol, so say goodbye to the sub-$30K Toyota passenger car
- Toyota suspends shipments of HiLux, LandCruiser and more after 'irregularities' found during engine testing - Toyota Australia seeking information on local impact
- Toyota's mini monster! LandCruiser FJ name secured for Australia as RAV4 Hybrid-powered Suzuki Jimny rival prepares for launch
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.8L |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | 4L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Holden Equinox
Make no bones about it; the new Holden Equinox is a very important car for the Holden brand going forward. The medium SUV is dropping into an ultra-competitive, an ultra-popular segment of the Australian marketplace, and it really needs to bring its A-game in order to compete on level terms with incumbents like Mazda's CX-5, the Volkswagen Tiguan and Nissan's X-Trail.
We're also interested to see how the car does in the day-to-day role as an adventure vehicle. Can it cut the mustard when it comes to competing with the best in the class?
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.0L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 8.4L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Toyota C-HR7.5/10
There’s not much in terms of practicalities that are going to convince you the C-HR is a better option than Toyota’s other small SUV, the Corolla Cross.
Even other ‘stylish’ small SUVs like the Mazda CX-30, fuel savers like the electric MG ZS EV, or performance small SUVs like the Hyundai Kona N are more affordable than the GR Sport version of the C-HR.
In the case of this car, unlike most of its Toyota stablemates, buyers will likely be making a decision from the heart based on exterior styling and its interior rather than value or practicality.
And who would anyone be to tell you not to buy a car you like for its styling?
Holden Equinox6.5/10
The Equinox is a box jump in front of the old-school Captiva… but we wonder if it’s enough to stay up with current crop of medium SUVs. Its adventure chops, too, are restricted to light gravel and snow work, though its sheer capacity for luggage stands it in good stead.
Has the Holden Equinox made enough of a jump to get onto your consideration list? Let us know below.
Design
Toyota C-HR
There’s a fair bit going on here compared to most of Toyota’s other products, much like the first generation, but being designed with Europe as the key market and Australia as a secondary means the styling team needed to take on some fairly fashionable brands.
All three variants of the C-HR are relatively close in aesthetics, with major differences being two-tone paint or specific trim elements for the top-spec GR Sport.
It uses new Toyota design elements that have been seen on some models already, the ‘c-shape’ lights have been used on the new Prius, which we no longer get in Australia, for example.
The black roof was also available on the previous generation, where this car has carried over the ‘egg-like’ silhouette from.
The overall relatively aquatic styling and shape must be for aerodynamic advantage - its chief engineer told us the drag coefficient is just 0.318Cd - but the removal of the rear wiper to lower drag might have been unnecessary for a city-focused small SUV.
The cabin isn’t as wild as the outside, which may be a let-down in some ways, though it’s still a little more visually interesting than its more mainstream stablemates.
The 64-colour ambient lighting changes based on settings including time of day or drive mode, but can be set to a specific single colour if you wish.
The centre stack on the dash is gently angled towards the driver with a small separation between it and the passenger, creating a slight ‘cockpit’ feeling.
Seats are made from different materials depending on the grade, though no real leather is used even in the GR Sport, where synthetic suede and leather are the main upholstery.
The cloth textiles are made from entirely recycled materials, while the synthetic suede is made from a little less than half recycled materials.
They don’t look cheap, but they also don’t look particularly luxurious.
Holden Equinox
While Holden was able to have some influence on the nose and tail treatment, you’re looking at a Detroit special that’s meant to do business in all four corners of the world. It’s inoffensive enough... but inoffensive may not be enough in such a hard-fought retail space.Â
Traces of GM’s dalliance with split grilles remain, but thankfully it’s underplayed, while the side profile still allows for plenty of light to get into the cabin.
Inside, it’s better than the long-serving Captiva... but again, it’s a tough space, and the Equinox needs to able to compete against resolved, confident interior spaces from the likes of Mazda and Volkswagen. It’s more shapely and stylish, sure, but it already feels a couple of years old... and the Equinox will be with us for some time yet.
Read More: Holden Equinox reviews
Practicality
Toyota C-HR
When it comes to interior layout and ergonomics, there’s never much to criticise in a Toyota, unless playing it safe is a downside for you.
The buttons you’re most likely to use regularly, across the climate control, centre console and steering wheel, are all very obvious and easy to find, if a little uninspiring, as is wheel design itself - form definitely doesn’t sacrifice function here.
Welcome are the two large screens, the multimedia touchscreen a large 12.3-inch unit and the driver display either 7.0-inch or another 12.3-inch version depending on variant.
Toyota’s software is simple and accessible, using a few main menu sections, though many will likely bypass this with wireless phone mirroring.
Everything’s in a sensible place: a tall bottle in the cupholders won’t block access to anything, the phone charging pad is tucked away to minimise distraction, and Toyota has kept things like the gear selector and stalks behind the steering wheel relatively traditional.
While the interior feels a little dated by its many buttons and some of its simple graphics, there’s certainly something to be said for a welcome change from distracting screens and menus - if the aim was to not exclude Toyota’s older market, it seems like mission accomplished.
In terms of comfort and space, the C-HR makes pretty good use of its interior from the front, the seats are relatively comfortable and visibility is fine, though the back seat starts to feel a bit cramped.
While cupholders and door bottle storage is plentiful in the front, there’s no armrest and no bottle storage in the rear, only relatively shallow cupholders on the armrests in the doors.
Visibility is also relatively poor with high windows, a narrow rear window, and not a lot of light unless there’s a sunroof.
Behind that, with the seats up, the C-HR’s boot has a claimed VDA capacity of 388 litres in the GXL and Koba, or 362L in the GR Sport. Total volume with the seats down is 1154L and 1490L respectively.
Holden Equinox
You'll find five seats aboard the medium-sized Equinox SUV, and there’s no third-row option available in this particular shape. The US-designed and Mexican-built Equinox presents well enough when you jump aboard, with plenty of subtle and not so subtle curves, creases and folds adorning the front of the cabin.Â
The ergonomics in current Holdens aren’t quite as resolved as they once were, given that its cars are now plucked from other markets rather than being designed from the wheels up for local use. The Equinox, for example, is sold in several other markets and this does lead to knock-on ergonomic differences as GM attempts to create a one-size-fits-most profile.Â
For example, the indicator and wiper stalks are awkwardly positioned behind the steering wheel. The steering wheel itself is oddly parallelogrammed in its profile, and its very thick rim makes it more difficult for small hands to get comfortable with it.Â
The seats themselves are very short in the base, too, and don't offer a lot in the way of lateral support. They’re also mounted high in the Equinox, pushing drivers and passengers towards the roof, while the sunroof that's fitted to the LTZ-V drops the headlining down to uncomfortably low levels, both front and rear, for taller occupants.
Luggage space is an excellent 846 litres, which beats the CX-5, Tiguan, Nissan’s X-Trail and Mitsubishi’s Outlander.
Both front and rear seaters are treated to heated and vented seats, while the second row can be dropped with the tug on the lever in the boot area. However, we found it necessary to pull out the weirdly large centre seat headrest in order to get an almost-flat cargo area of some 1798 litres (or one large mountain bike with wheels on) to work with.Â
Second rowers get a pair of USB ports and a 12-volt charging point, and even though there’s a 230v household socket in the rear of centre console, we couldn't actually make it work with an Australian-spec plug.Â
The door pockets are very small, and the front doors can only hold bottles in reality. It’s a similar story for the rear. There's a map pocket behind the passenger seat, but not behind the driver. There are two cupholders in a centre fold-down armrest, and there are also ISOFIX baby seat mounts on the outside seats.
A space-saver spare wheel resides under the boot floor, under what has to be noted as quite poorly executed plastic trimming.Â
When it comes to rear seat occupants, three can sit across the second row quite comfortably, although as mentioned, rear headroom is a little compromised for taller passengers thanks to the sunroof.Â
Price and features
Toyota C-HR
While a Corolla Cross starts at $33,980 before on-roads, or $36,480 for a hybrid, the C-HR is just under $43K in its lowest spec.
And even though you’re paying more for a new hybrid drivetrain and some fun Euro styling, the Corolla Cross’ drivetrain isn’t far behind, and it still looks good enough to sell quite well.
So what’s the C-HR got going for it that the Cross doesn’t?
The base GXL starts from $42,990 plus on-road costs and comes with a bit more than you might expect from a base variant Toyota.
A 12.3-inch touchscreen, a 7.0-inch driver display and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay have things covered for multimedia, while dual-zone climate, keyless entry and start, rain-sensing wipers, and USB-C and 12-volt ports and chargers cover off convenience.
The GXL has manually adjustable seats with recycled fabric - which I’ll come back to later - plus a synthetic leather-accented steering wheel.
The Koba, at $49,990, scores heated sports seats with synthetic suede trim, plus power adjustment for the driver seat and a digital rearview mirror as well as cabin ionisation via the climate control.
A wireless smartphone charger, a head-up display above a larger 12.3-inch driver display, plus adaptive high-beam all add to the convenience, while a nine-speaker JBL sound system and 64-colour ambient lighting add to the vibes.
Atop the range is the GR Sport, which starts from $54,990.
As well as being more powerful - we’ll come back to that, too - it gets unique styling outside, plus synthetic leather-accented and suede seats inside, aluminium scuff plates, and a heated GR Sport steering wheel.
Holden Equinox
The Equinox LTZ-V is offered here with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and part-time AWD transmission, along with GM’s excellent nine-speed automatic gearbox.
The LTZ-Z tops the tree for the Equinox range, and sells from $46,290 plus on-roads. Compare that to the CX-5 Akera at $46,290 and the VW Tiguan 162TSI Sportline at $45,990, and you get the idea of how competitive the space is.
There’s plenty of gear aboard the LTZ-V, including Holden’s MyLink infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto mirroring and sat nav, automatic lights and wipers, LED headlight, DRLs and taillights, leatherette seats that are vented and heated front and rear, an inductive phone charger, Bose six-speaker audio, active cabin noise equalisation, dual-zone climate control with rear vents and four USB ports.
Standard safety kit includes AEB with forward collision alert, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, roll over mitigation, front and rear parking sensors and auto high beam.
The LTZ-V rides on 19-inch alloys.
Under the bonnet
Toyota C-HR
The difference in boot space is likely because the hybrid-only C-HR comes with two drivetrain options, depending on which variant you have.
The GXL and Koba both use Toyota’s 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine aided by a front-mounted electric motor to produce a 103kW output at the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission.
The GR Sport, however, gains a rear electric motor (taking up some boot space) and a more powerful front motor, helping a larger 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine make a total 146kW - still via a CVT.
Don’t expect to be getting to 100km/h from a standstill in any less than 8.0 seconds in either variant, but both have a claimed top speed of 170km/h.
Holden Equinox
The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-potter is good for 188kW at 5500rpm, and a healthy 353Nm of torque from 2500-4500rpm. It’s actually the same engine Holden uses in the new Commodore – and like its sedan cousin, the Equinox also uses GM’s truly excellent nine-speed auto ’box.
It’s sold as an AWD, but unless you press the button on the dash, it’s a true front-driver; the rear axle is completely disconnected from the rest of the system in the interests of fuel saving.
Speaking of which, the Equinox demands a diet of 95 RON premium fuel, wich will add to running costs compared to some rivals which will happily accept cheaper 91 RON.
Efficiency
Toyota C-HR
Toyota says the C-HR uses just 4.0L/100km on the combined cycle test, which is 0.3L less than the previous generation’s claim, but it should be noted the 2.0-litre in the GR Sport drinks a claimed 4.1L/100km.
During testing on the launch drive, but without being able to measure properly from fill to fill, one quite spirited leg of driving netted a 6.9L/100km reading on the trip computer, while a more sedate drive returned 5.4L/100km.
Holden Equinox
Over a brief stretch of 210km of on-road driving, we logged a dash-indicated figure of 12.8 litres per 100km, against a combined fuel economy claim of 8.4L/100km.Â
Its 55-litre fuel tank needs premium unleaded fuel, and it has a theoretical range of just over 650km.
Driving
Toyota C-HR
There’s nothing particularly offensive about the way the new C-HR drives, but there’s nothing riveting either.
If you’ve driven anything on the Toyota TNGA platform, this will feel familiar to you - and that’s not a bad thing, it’s generally pretty stable, comfortable and controlled.
The modified Corolla platform it rides on is a very good thing, but the C-HR doesn’t have anything in the way of sporting tendencies its styling might suggest.
The hybrid drivetrain in the two 1.8-litre versions of the small SUV don’t offer up a whole lot in terms of keen acceleration, but even the GR Sport and its 146kW drivetrain need a push to get things feeling properly quick on a twisty road.
The added stability of the all-wheel drive in the top variant is noticeable, the front-drive variants feeling a little less planted when pushed.
Steering is on the slightly lighter side of still being well-weighted - it doesn’t wow, but Toyota’s engineers know what they’re doing and it does everything it needs to in terms of communicating feeling to the driver.
Some particularly rough roads on the test drive showed the suspension to handle short, sharp bumps well and not feel crashy over larger imperfections.
The suspension has been retuned in this TNGA-C platform to be stiffer for more control but also more compliant in terms of comfort.
But it’s around urban and suburban streets where the C-HR will spend most of its time, and neglected streets, speed bumps, or tram lines won’t shake you too much from in the cabin.
Holden Equinox
People are voting with their wallets and snapping up medium-sized SUVs in droves, in part because of the wagon shape, and also because of ease of use. The Equinox, unfortunately, lets itself down in this regard, thanks mainly to a turning circle that is frankly ludicrously big.Â
We initially suspected that perhaps the 11.4m turning circle was a result of fitting the vehicle with all-wheel drive, but every Equinox suffers from the same malady. It's a frustrating experience to turn into your regular carpark spot and find that you've missed it by a metre or more.
Holden's engineers have localised the feel and the ride of the Equinox, and they’ve done a very good job considering that the LTZ-V rides on 19-inch alloys. Well-tuned and matched shocks really soak up the small around-town bumps that are so common in urban environments. On the open road as well, the 1735kg Equinox is controlled, comfortable, and reasonably quiet, though it can wander at the helm a little unless you're keeping an eye on it, thanks to an overly light steering feel.
Safety
Toyota C-HR
All three variants of the C-HR come with a version of the Toyota Safety Sense suite of tech which includes things like pre-collision, active cruise control, speed limit sign assist, a surround-view parking camera, plus all the expected inclusions like ABS, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
The rear outboard seats are equipped with ISOFIX tethers, too, while the ADR-necessary top tethers are also present.
It hasn’t been tested by ANCAP, but in the case of a collision the C-HR does have a pretty decent airbag count of 10.
Holden Equinox
Standard safety in the Equinox is commendably high, and it has held a maximum five-star rating from ANCAP since December 2017. Six airbags, AEB with frontal collision and rear cross traffic alert are fitted as standard, while a haptic seat alert vibrates under your butt should you stray over a centre line or attempt to back into traffic, among other warnings.
Ownership
Toyota C-HR
Toyota has a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty which covers the C-HR, as well as capped-price servicing for the first five years or 75,000km, whichever comes first, with each 12-month/15,000km service costing $250.
The C-HR also comes with a 12-month subscription to Toyota Connected Services, with features accessible through the myToyota Connect smartphone app.
Holden Equinox
Holden increased its warranty duration in July 2018 to five years and unlimited kilometres, and five years of scheduled services will cost $1259, according to Holden’s fixed price service menu. Holden would like to see your Equinox every year of 12,000km.
Bear in mind the additional cost of premium unleaded, though.