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Report: New Toyota Crossover Will Look “Distinctive”

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Toyota C-HR concept

Sure, it’s distinctive now, but only time will tell how much it gets toned down for production

The small crossover segment is fairly new, but already the major automakers are hopping on-board in hopes of capturing their share of the market. Toyota might be a bit late to the game (Mazda and Honda already have their small crossovers on the market), but hopefully when the automaker’s offering becomes available, its styling will make it stand out from its competitors.

At least, that’s what we hope. At the Frankfurt Motor Show earlier this month, the vehicle’s chief engineer Hiro Koba let some info slip to reporters from Top Gear. “There are now so many compact crossovers,” Koba said. “Toyota is late. So we need to be distinctive. Customers for these vehicles want a crossover for style. They want to show individuality.”

If there’s one thing that most Toyota vehicles don’t have, it’s distinctive styling (especially now the FJ Cruiser is extinct). But Koba’s statement along with the unique styling of the new Prius and the Mirai FCV make us pretty excited to see Toyota’s small crossover in person.

The crossover will be based on the C-HR Concept, which certainly has distinctive styling. But as with most concept cars, we can expect Toyota to get rid of some of the vehicle’s most striking characteristics. The concept looks more like a high-riding coupe than your typical crossover, but the production car will have five doors for practicality, so there’s no saying whether the sloped roofline will remain. But Kobe’s words give us hope that the CH-R will retain a fair amount of its individuality, rather than trying to blend in with its competitors.

The production vehicle should be ready to reveal to the world by next spring, but there’s no word on when it’ll be available for purchase.

News Source: Top Gear