Toyota C-HR vs Peugeot E-3008

What's the difference?

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?

The E-3008 is heading into an increasingly competitive mid-size EV SUV segment and the Peugeot brings design flair, impressive practicality and outstanding efficiency to the table. Safety and dynamic performance are good but not class-leading, while the ownership package is likely to be competitive. Price is almost always a high-ranking factor on a new-car purchase priority list and here it's critical. This car has a lot to offer but if buyers are to be tempted away from better known brands the ask will have to be on the money.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

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.

The E-3008 is a high-waisted, fastback-style SUV with the turret sloping dramatically behind the top of the C-pillar. It boasts an impressively slippery 0.28 drag coefficient.

There are sharp character lines on the bonnet, around the grille and down the car's flanks, while the tail tapers in from the sides towards a narrow hard deck at the base of the rear screen.

What Peugeot describes as a 'floating' spoiler sits at the rear of the roof and the 'Sofia' 20-inch wheel design on the GT grade we drove at the launch looks amazing. The Allure's 19-inch 'Lulea' rim is similarly graphic.

Interesting detail is the flush closures around the side windows with thin panels dropping in to fill the gap between the glass and sheet metal. Neat and aero-efficient.

And the interior is just as arresting with the big 21-inch screen covering almost half the dashtop and the small (but not tiny) flat top and bottom steering wheel affording a clear view to it.

The two-tier dash is divided by a cross-hatched illuminated section that carries into the front doors. My advice is to tone the brightness down at night because the disco-style reflections can be disconcerting.

It feels open in the front with plenty of breathing space thanks to the dash's broad lower level, trimmed in a fabric-based but suitably tough material. Peugeot says the aim is "living room ambience" and if the words angular and cozy can live together they describe the overall look with genuine aluminium trim pieces enhancing the contemporary, high-tech feel.

Always a subjective call but I reckon the E-3008 looks sleek inside and out.

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.

Measuring a fraction over 4.5m end-to-end, a little more than 1.9m wide and just over 1.6m tall the E-3008 sits squarely in the medium SUV category.

There's plenty of room up front thanks mainly to the low and broad dash design and there are plenty of storage options including large (trimmed) door bins with enough space for large bottles plus dual cupholders in the centre console.

The gearshift sits on the dash which frees up space for two huge storage boxes in the console; the first's lid opening laterally for ultra-easy access and the second (cooled) compartment between the seats topped with a longitudinally divided lid/armrest.

Add a generous wireless charging pad and an oddments tray on the driver's side near the door and it's hard to complain about places to put stuff.

Moving to the back, despite the E-3008's swoopy roofline, at 183cm tall I enjoyed ample head and legroom sitting behind the front seat set to my position, and getting in and out is easy thanks to wide-opening doors sitting in large apertures.

Again, storage is generous. There are decent door bins (not trimmed this time) with room for bottles, plus netted map pockets and a fold-down centre armrest with two cupholders and a slim tray built-in. Adjustable air vents are welcome, as is the oddments tray underneath them.

Connectivity and power runs to two USB-C sockets and a 12V outlet in the front, the same options in the back and a third 12-volt jack in the boot.

Speaking of which, the E-3008 delivers the same 520 litres (VDA) of boot space (to the parcel shelf with all seats up) as its predecessor, extending to 1480 litres with the 40/20/40 split rear seat folded.

There are four tie-down anchors, multiple bag hooks and the boot floor can be lowered to accommodate taller loads, which is nice. But that functionality comes partly because there's no spare wheel, which isn't nice.

Single-motor variants are rated to tow a 1250kg braked trailer (1350kg for the dual motor).

Given the car's Australian launch is still some way off it's no surprise local pricing and specification is yet to be confirmed. But we can make some assumptions based on available trim levels and projected production scheduling.

The E-3008 is offered globally in entry-level Allure and top-spec GT grades with a choice of three powertrains - single-motor standard range, single-motor long range and dual-motor all-wheel drive.

That said, the single-motor standard range set-up will be the only configuration available until production of long-range and dual-motor versions begins in 2025.

So, initially we can expect the E-3008 Allure to include the latest version of Peugeot's 'i-Cockpit' dash layout and multimedia system featuring a single-piece, curved and swipe-able 21-inch panoramic screen combining media, instrumentation and vehicle control displays (as well as 'OK Peugeot' voice recognition). It's optional on the Allure in France but a safe bet as standard here.

Then you can add auto LED headlights, cloth and synthetic leather trim, keyless entry and start, an HD reversing camera (with rear parking sensors), six-speaker audio (with digital radio), dual-zone climate control, 19-inch alloys and the 'i -Connect' system, including wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Step up to the GT and you're rolling on 20-inch rims, while you also pick up two-tone paint, pixel LED headlights, front parking sensors, an auto tailgate, Alcantara trim (genuine leather is an option in France), customisable ambient interior lighting, Focal 10-speaker premium audio (with 12-channel 690W amp), heated front seats and steering wheel, a head-up display and an induction smartphone charger. Also likely is the 'VisioPark 360' system (incorporating four cameras and 12 sensors).

As mentioned, Australian range and pricing are yet to be finalised but in the notoriously pricy UK market cost-of-entry for the E-3008 Allure is around £46,000 ($89,000 on a straight currency swap) with a roughly €45,000 ($75,000) starting price in France.

To be competitive locally we'd argue the E-3008 Allure will need to be under $70,000, putting it in the same ballpark as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (2WD 125kW - $65,000) and Ioniq 6 (2WD 111kW - $65,500), Kia Niro EV (S Electric FWD - $66,590), Renault Megane E-Tech ($64,990), Tesla Model Y (RWD Single Motor - $65,400) and Volvo EX30 (Single Motor Extended Ultra - $64,990).

Worth noting that Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid versions of the new 3008 will follow this pure EV, with timing and local availability yet to be confirmed.

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.

Single-motor standard-range versions of the E-3008 are powered by a 157kW/345Nm permanent magnet synchronous unit, while the AWD dual motor keeps the front set up and adds a 83kW/166Nm motor at the rear.

The motors are produced by the Stellantis-Nidec joint venture in Tremery, France and the single-speed transmission is also manufactured in France by Stellantis in Valenciennes.

A 400V high-voltage lithium-ion battery, with a NMC (Nickel, Manganese and Cobalt) chemical composition is located under the floor.

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.

The 157kW single-motor standard-range version packs a 73kWh lithium ion battery for a claimed (WLTP) range of 525km.

The 171kW single-motor long-range car swaps in a 98kWh battery for a whopping 700km range. And the 239kW dual-motor AWD model reverts to the 73kWh battery/525km range spec.

AC charging capacity is a choice of 11kW and 22kW (with the former likely for our market) and up to 160kW for DC, delivering a 20-80 per cent charge in 30 minutes. The charging plug is Type 2 for AC and CCS Combo2 for DC.

V2L (vehicle to load) capability is a significant E-3008 feature, the car's 400-volt architecture allowing its battery to power large electrical devices.

Claimed (WLTP) energy consumption for the single-motor standard-range car is 16.7kWh/100km for the Allure grade and 17.4kWh/100km for the GT.

Over a roughly 110km launch drive taking in some urban stop-start, highway running, B-roads and twisty mountain sections we recorded 16.1kWh/100km which is a pretty solid result for a close to 2.2-tonne mid-size SUV.

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.

The international launch drive focused exclusively on the single-motor, standard-range E-3008, in GT spec, and the program covered high-speed tollways, bumpy back roads, snaking mountain passes and coastal curves in the south of France.

Peugeot claims 0-100km/h in 8.8 seconds for the E-3008 in this configuration, which is pretty sharp on paper. But in reality performance is reasonable. Never slow, but pinning the accelerator doesn't bring the surging thrust of some of this car's potential competitors. That's partly because it tips the scales at a sturdy 2183kg.

There are three drive modes in single-motor models. 'Normal' is the default with power and torque slightly reduced when the accelerator is pressed between 0-70 per cent. Above 70 per cent and you have full power and torque. 'Eco' limits outputs while reducing heating and air con outputs and 'Sport' dials up the steering and accelerator settings.

Despite the drive battery being mounted under the floor for a low centre-of-gravity you can feel that substantial mass in the corners. It's far from ponderous but weight transfer as the car turns in is noticeable. Steering feel is okay rather than great. Even in Sport it's nicely weighted and quick but road feel is modest.

Suspension is strut front, multi-link rear and the GT's standard 20-inch rubber is 235/50 Michelin ePrimacy. On imperfect secondary roads (close to Aussie-spec in their ordinariness) bumps and thumps, especially high-frequency ripples, make their presence felt but not to an extreme degree.

On better surfaces the car is quiet and refined, even in the context of an EV, and the three-stage ('Low', 'Medium', 'High') regenerative braking set-up works well. The two higher levels automatically activate the brake lights and High will slow the car to 5.0-7.0km/h, so no single-pedal driving.

The physical brakes need to be greased in carefully, though, as they can grab a little if you press the pedal too sharply.

A 10.6m turning circle means tight, slow-speed parking manoeuvres are relatively easy to manage, with the GT's 360-degree overhead view and all-around sensors also a big help.

In terms of general observations, the highly-specified Focal audio system sounds good but not exceptional to our lo-fi ears, the dash layout not only looks amazing but works well from an ergonomic point-of-view (only snag is the media 'Home' button obscured by the steering wheel) and the front seats are supportive yet comfortable.

Last but not least the overspeed warning defaults to on every time the car is restarted. Peugeot isn't alone here (hello Hyundai and Kia) and we're told the cause is legislative requirements in multiple markets. Three clicks are required to turn off the warning chime and flashing display off.

Standard active (crash-avoidance) safety tech includes adaptive cruise control (with 'Stop & Go' function), lane keeping assist, lane-change assist, blind-spot monitoring (long-range up to 75 metres), traffic sign recognition, AEB (with day or night pedestrian and cyclist detection from 7.0-140km/h), active lane departure warning (with lane departure correction), 'Driver Attention Alert', 'Hill Descent Control' and 'Advanced Traction Control' (with 'snow', 'mud' and 'sand' modes). No sign of rear cross-traffic alert or rear AEB at this stage.

If a crash is unavoidable there are six airbags onboard - driver and passenger front, front side (thorax and pelvis) and side curtain (head and thorax). No front centre or knee airbags.

Expect three top tethers for child car seats across the rear row, with ISOFIX anchors on the two outer positions.

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.

The E-3008 will be covered by Peugeot Automobiles Australia's five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty with the lithium ion drive battery covered for eight years/160,000km.

Although not confirmed at this stage, expect the service interval to be 12 months or 24,000km (as per the E-2008), and pricing to sit in the region of $1750 over five years ($350 annually). A cheaper (three- or five-year) pre-paid option is a near certainty.