Toyota fights back: We drove the EV built to beat the Chinese

In recent years, most veteran automakers have been losing more sales every year, while BYD, Geely, and Chery continue to grow. Only Toyota stands above the industry, producing 11 million vehicles annually, even managing to grow slightly itself, while watching with concern the Chinese tsunami riding the demand for electric and plug-in vehicles.

While Volkswagen, General Motors, Ford, and Porsche mortgaged their futures on massive EV investments, Toyota argued that even if regulators wanted it, the world was still not ready for that revolution. Many believed Toyota was being overly conservative and outdated, but now it is the one laughing last while other manufacturers erase tens of billions of dollars.

One of the bZ’s problems was its price tag - over NIS 220,000. The C-HR+ starts at NIS 180,000 for the base version with a 58 kWh battery and 458 km of range, similar to Chinese crossovers of the same size. But today we are driving the mid-level model, which gets a 77 kWh battery and an impressive official range of 607 km - the longest range in Israel for less than NIS 200,000 (with NIS 10 left in change if you buy one). In doing so, the new Toyota overtakes the smaller Kia EV3, which offers 589 km for NIS 187,000, and also presents an interesting response to the discounted Tesla Model 3, with a 534 km range for NIS 192,000.

The front end is the same one now shared by all Toyota models. The profile recalls the Honda Civic and, in principle, the Toyota Prius that taught the industry how to build an aerodynamic car that wastes less energy. That is why the C-HR+ also has a five-door structure, though slightly taller.

With a length of 4.53 meters, width of 1.87 meters, height of 1.6 meters, and wheelbase of 2.75 meters, it is 17 cm shorter, 1 cm wider, 5 cm lower, and has a wheelbase 10 cm shorter than the bZ. It is also slightly larger than the BYD Atto 3, but smaller than the Deepal L05. Overall, it is an attractive vehicle, although we would gladly give up the hidden rear door handles, which are positioned too high for children - a drawback in a family car.

The driver’s environment comes from the updated bZ4X and Subaru models sharing the platform (Solterra, Uncharted, and Trailseeker), and it is about as non-Chinese as it gets. There are physical switches for climate control and the audio system - basically for everything you actually need. This car is as friendly and easy to use as a Labrador. It does not look as high-tech as a Tesla or the Chinese models copying it, nor does it force the driver to take their eyes off the road and operate the car through the screen. It is refreshing to see a manufacturer that has not surrendered to the trend or tried to kill its customers.

But not everything is perfect. As part of the effort to maintain a competitive price, this version lacks electric adjustment for the driver’s seat and the panoramic roof that have become almost standard in Chinese EVs, making it feel somewhat sparse. I cannot remember another EV at NIS 200,000 without those quality-of-life features. There is also no glove compartment, and connecting an Android phone to the large screen requires a physical cable; only iPhone users get wireless connectivity. Material quality is reasonable - this is not an executive car. During the drive, whenever our hands on the steering wheel blocked the interior sensors, we received a written reprimand: “Sit upright.” A Japanese-Polish car. The upholstery combines synthetic leather and fabric, but the front seats are comfortable and outward visibility is good.

In the rear there is good knee room and a seat that is not as low as in many Chinese cars, along with air vents and two USB-C ports. Space is very good for only two adults because of a cost-cutting seat design: The bench itself is relatively narrow (1.23 meters) but leaves almost 10 cm empty on each side between it and the doors. It is a space that happily swallows phones, pacifiers, and other items that inevitably fall during the drive and are difficult to retrieve, though for three child seats it matters less. The trunk is not especially generous at just 416 liters, and the loading lip is deep. The hatchback design helps make use of the full space and slightly above seat height. Too bad there is no spare wheel.

All models feature a 14-inch multimedia screen with a 7-inch digital instrument cluster.

MOTION trim (from NIS 180,000): Comes with 18-inch alloy wheels with wheel covers, fabric and synthetic leather seat upholstery, and a 6-speaker audio system.

VISION trim (from NIS 200,000): The version we drove, adds a powered tailgate and dark rear windows.

EXCLUSIVE trim (from NIS 230,000): Upgrades to lightweight 20-inch wheels, a JBL audio system with 9 speakers, 360-degree cameras, an electrically adjustable driver’s seat, fixed panoramic roof, and towing capacity of up to 1,500 kg. It also offers synthetic leather and suede seat upholstery. It looks good, but Chinese EVs offer such specifications for tens of thousands of shekels less.

The vehicle has not yet been tested in the European crash test. Specifications include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and more.

The test vehicle has 224 hp from a front-mounted motor, leaving no room for a front trunk. It is front-wheel drive. Unlike most Chinese EVs, there is also a proper start/stop button, and the car does not “wake up” from pressing the accelerator pedal or shut off only via the remote key. Safer that way.

A 0–100 km/h time of 7.3 seconds is no longer exceptional for EVs - even slightly slow. But the C-HR+ knows how to be quick when pushed and efficient when not. There is no punch-in-the-back acceleration like in a Tesla, but this is a car you would not be afraid to hand over to your soldier son for a Friday night outing.

We did not really expect 600 km, but a drive of around 600 km, partly in the city and mostly highway driving at traffic pace, delivered a real-world range of 480 km. That is a fairly large gap from the manufacturer’s figures, but it is still among the longest real-world ranges and provides confidence on long trips. Fast charging is possible at a not especially fast rate of 150 kW, while AC charging is the standard 11 kW.

This is the knockout section against the Chinese competition. It begins with good ride comfort, even in the city, continues with predictable road manners, steering with the correct weight and not overly light, a body that does not sway in corners, and a quiet ride at legal speeds. These are areas where Toyota lagged behind in the past even with gasoline vehicles, and it has now closed the gap.

For anyone who does not want a complete Chinese takeover of the market, the C-HR+ leaves plenty of optimism. Veteran manufacturers are capable of building EVs that preserve their traditional strengths and excellent ergonomics while still delivering respectable range, useful space, and a price that is not excessively expensive.

Toyota still needs to make another effort here to offer the equipment it omitted from the base trims, equipment that has already become basic in the 2026 market. While many Chinese EVs suffer from steep depreciation, Toyota’s reputation and reliability are expected to remain valid here as well and justify the higher price - though that assumption will need to be confirmed in the coming years.

Toyota also offers up to 10 years and one million kilometers of battery warranty coverage for an additional fee, which will provide confidence for future buyers and also influence resale value. That is nice, but the full vehicle warranty - just 3 years or 100,000 km - is too short when some Chinese EVs offer 7- and 8-year warranties in this category.

Even as it stands today, the C-HR+ is one of the best electric vehicles you can buy in Israel for under NIS 200,000.

3 years or 100,000 km for the vehicle, 8 years or 160,000 km for the battery. Toyota will offer, for an additional fee, an extended warranty of up to 10 years or one million kilometers, subject to a paid annual battery health inspection.