Toyota NZ stays quiet on C-HR electric SUV

Toyota New Zealand has declined to comment on whether the brand’s new C-HR battery electric vehicle (BEV) will be offered locally, despite the model being confirmed for Australia.

The all-electric SUV was recently announced for the Australian market with a mid-2027 launch date, but Toyota NZ remains non-committal about local availability.

“We are not currently in a position to comment on that,” a Toyota NZ spokesperson told NZ Autocar when asked about the C-HR BEV’s potential arrival.

Different vehicle beneath familiar looks

Despite sharing its name and appearance with the current C-HR, the electric version is built on a different platform and features larger dimensions. Toyota says the C-HR BEV is more comparable to the Corolla Cross Hybrid and bZ4X than the existing petrol-powered C-HR.

The Australian market will receive a single variant featuring a 74.7kWh lithium-ion battery paired with a front-mounted electric motor producing 165kW and 269Nm. The long-range front-wheel drive configuration supports DC fast charging at up to 150kW, while alternating current (AC) charging is limited to 22kW.

Pricing expectations

While Australian pricing has not been announced, the C-HR BEV is expected to undercut the bZ4X in that market. If the model reaches New Zealand, it would likely be positioned below the bZ4X’s current starting price of $57,990.

This pricing strategy would make the C-HR BEV Toyota’s most affordable electric SUV offering in the local market, unless between now and then they pickup the Indian-built Urban Cruiser, a version of the Suzuki eVitara already confirmed for NZ.

Broader EV strategy

Toyota’s silence on the C-HR BEV comes as the brand has made other electric vehicle commitments for New Zealand. The company recently confirmed it will sell an all-electric version of the HiLux locally, which will join hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell variants of the popular ute.

The electric HiLux announcement suggests Toyota is expanding its local EV portfolio, making the absence of confirmation for the C-HR BEV notable rather than definitive.

Given Toyota’s recent EV commitments and the C-HR BEV’s expected competitive positioning, local availability would align with the brand’s electrification strategy, despite the current official silence.