Toyota’s Scion division has unveiled the C-HR concept at the Los Angeles Motor Show. If the concept looks — and sounds — familiar, it’s because it’s nothing more than a re-badged version of the Toyota C-HR concept that has been painted bright red with a black roof and fitted with 21-inch alloys.
That means Scion’s next show car takes the form of a bold, futuristic-looking compact crossover with a tall front end accented by swept-back headlights, nearly vertical air dams, and pronounced wheel arches. Rakish A-pillars flow into a low roof line that ends in a spoiler, and the back end wears oversized C-shaped tail lamps as well as a curved trunk lid. Scion isn’t shy about admitting the C-HR will spawn a production model whose styling will be toned down considerably.
Scion hasn’t published pictures of the C-HR’s interior, though it promises the cabin is like a “precision-cut gemstone” because its design is inspired by a diamond with sheered sides.
The concept’s generous amount of ground clearance suggests that it’s capable of going far off the beaten path, but Scion has opted not to publish technical specifications. For what it’s worth, the original Toyota C-HR concept that was introduced last year at the Paris Motor Show was powered by a hybrid drivetrain made up of a small, gasoline-burning, four-cylinder engine and a compact electric motor.
The production version of the Toyota C-HR concept is scheduled to greet the public for the first time next March at the Geneva Motor Show. With that time frame in mind, we expect the Scion-badged model will make its debut the following April at the New York Motor Show and go on sale shortly after as a 2017 model. Aimed at the Nissan Juke, it will be Scion’s first-ever foray in the hotly contested crossover segment.
