Toyota C-HR – hotter version under consideration?

The paint hasn’t even dried on the recently-unveiled Toyota C-HR – we haven’t even seen the interior of the car, for one – and already there’s talk of a hotter, high-performance variant of the B-segment crossover being considered, according to Autocar UK.

Lead engineer of the C-HR Hiro Koba told the British publication that such a car would tackle the Nissan Juke Nismo, and give Toyota a leg up in the hot crossover market. Although he said that a sportier C-HR was not “concretely” in Toyota’s plans, he added, “I am pushing to make such a car. I need to get approval.”

Meanwhile, Toyota Motor Europe’s senior manager Rembert Serrus said, “The car lends itself to it. It would be possible, but it depends on how much we have to change. A sports version could be a minor change or it could be a new project. A sports version would make a lot of sense.”

A racing version is already slated to enter the 24 Hours of Nürburgring next month, and Koba has driven it – power comes from a 1.5 litre turbo petrol engine producing around 178 hp. Public reaction to the racer is expected to heavily influence the business case for a road-going hot C-HR.

If a production model does come to fruition, it could use a similar engine, particularly as Koba has already suggested that he wants to see more powerful models. Some of the aerodynamic addenda could also be carried over, along with the usual retuned suspension, brakes and steering, and a revised interior. Expect a sportier C-HR to be unveiled no earlier than 2018, given the development time needed for such a project.