The Toyota C-HR has been making the rounds across Malaysia since August, but it’s only been shown in Australian specification so far. Now, however, the B-segment crossover is being previewed in local form, built in Thailand (CBU) and sporting a number of detail and equipment changes.

Not much is different on the outside – the swoopy exterior continues to be fitted with halogen projector headlights, LED daytime running lights, 17-inch alloy wheels and bulb-type tail lights, but the LED fog lights have been swapped out for halogen items. One of the cars you see in these photos also comes in Blue Metallic with a black roof, which looks pretty snazzy.

You’ll find more changes on the inside. While soft-touch plastics are still abundant here, the lower dashboard panel and door cards are slightly harder to the touch, although the upper dashboard with faux stitching still feels very plush. The latter is now finished in brown, as are the inserts for the door cards, which feature a cool tessellated texture. Piano black trim also adorns the window switch and gearlever surrounds.

In terms of kit, there’s keyless entry, push-button start, puddle lights, leather upholstery with diamond perforations, powered lumbar adjustment (seat adjustment is still manual, mind), auto lights and wipers, a 4.2-inch colour multi-info display, dual-zone climate control and a reverse camera.

Safety-wise, we get a Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), however, along with seven airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and ISOFIX rear child seat anchors.

However, the local variant misses out on the Australian model’s Toyota Safety Sense suite of driver assists, which include Pre-Collision Safety, Active Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning and Automatic High Beam.

Under the bonnet sits a 2ZR-FBE 1.8 litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine with Dual VVT-i and flex-fuel capability for the Thai market – we’ll probably get the petrol-only 2ZR-FE mill. Outputs are rated at 141 PS at 6,000 rpm and 177 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm, sent to the front wheels via a CVT.

The silver car sports a number of TRD components, including the full “Aggressive Style” exterior aero kit with a front spoiler, side skirts, rear diffuser and a small tailgate lip spoiler. There’s also a black grille garnish and 18-inch Enkei alloy wheels. The accessories are being shown here to gauge public reaction, and they may be offered for sale here if there is enough interest.

Of course, we still have no idea on pricing, but UMW Toyota has confirmed that the car will go on sale next year. What do you think of the Toyota C-HR? Would you prefer it to the Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-3? Let us know in the comments below, Those interested can also register themselves on the C-HR’s ROI page here.