Toyota C-HR vs Mercedes-Benz EQE

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 Mercedes-Benz EQE350 4Matic is an electric sedan that will comfortably house your family. My son really liked this one, the ambient lighting in particular!

It has enough power to satisfy the drivers out there and a driving range that will make you feel at ease. But the boot is small and this car will suit families whose kids are out of the pram stage best. I really like the safety and standard features on the EQE but the ongoing costs are a bit expensive for an EV.

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.

Love it or leave it, the swoopy design of the EQE sedan is decidedly modern with a shiny black grille that features a repeated Mercedes-Benz star motif and the aerodynamic covers on the 20-inch alloy wheels.

The nose is snubby and dips down too low for it to look sexy but the rear earns some design points with its elegant proportions, 3D ‘helix’ LED lights and cute spoiler.

The chrome accents around the windows and the illuminated flush door handles add some pizzazz, too.

I’m not a massive fan of its exterior looks but the interior is gorgeous! The dashboard features an 12.8-inch touchscreen multimedia system and a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel that pull your focus with their crystal-clear graphics but they need to, because the dashboard has a whole lotta empty space which looks a tad boring.

The side air vents are styled like jet turbines but are a little finicky to manoeuvre.

The black suede-like headliner creates a plush aesthetic but when you open the panoramic sunroof, the cabin is downright airy.

The door panels, which double as a grab handle, house the window and side mirror controls and its super handy to have the seat-configurator and memory functions on the door itself, rather than the side of the seat. This positioning makes them much easier to see!

Mercedes has added LED ambient-strip lighting around a lot of the interior, including the front seats, which has a massive wow factor at night time.

The ambient lighting can be adjusted up to 64-ways and also features a dynamic element where the lights pulse (under certain selections) when you accelerate. 

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.

Mercedes uses the term ‘saloon’ for its sedans and this term highlights the space each passenger will enjoy in the EQE sedan! There is plenty of head and legroom up front and you don’t feel like you’re on top of your co-pilot, either.

The electric front seats are comfortable with their adjustable lumbar control and extendable under-thigh support. The kinetic function on both also make longer journeys an absolute pleasure.

The rear seats are well-padded and you get limo-like legroom but the swoopy roofline does cut into the headspace. I’m comfortable enough with my 168cm (5'6") height but someone with a few inches over six-foot may not be.

You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to individual storage options with large middle and centre consoles, the latter can be made even larger because the two cupholders are retractable.

There is a massive shelf underneath them that has a handy elastic strap for larger items, like a handbag. The glove box is on the shallow side but both doors have a drink bottle holder and storage bin.  

In the rear, individual storage is also decent with two map pockets, two retractable cupholders in the fold-down armrest, as well as a drink bottle holder and storage bin in each door.

The other amenities in the rear are good with a couple of reading lights and directional air vents. I would have preferred to have seen climate control, too, but there’s enough here to satisfy.

The technology looks high-end but is relatively simple to operate once you get used to the Mercedes-Benz operating system.

The touchscreen multimedia screen has haptic feedback, which just means it vibrates when you touch it, and built-in satellite navigation with an augmented reality feature.

The digital instrument panel is customisable and the coloured head-up display is easy to see.

It is simple to connect to the wireless Apple CarPlay and there is also wired Android Auto.

Charging options are fantastic throughout the car with four USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad to choose from up front.

However, it’s annoying to use the charging pad if you’re also using the cupholders as its awkward to try and get a phone in and out of the housing. In the rear there are another two USB-C ports.

For the class, the boot isn’t massive at 430L and the wheels do cut into the width but it’s been big enough for my shopping errands.

You get a tyre puncture repair kit in the EQE sedan and I like the way you can electrically fold the rear seats if you need extra storage space. Having the hands-free powered boot lid is very convenient. 

There are three models for the EQE sedan and our test model is the mid-spec 350 4Matic grade, which will cost you $144,900, before on-road costs. It manages to slide into being the most affordable compared to its rivals and it has a tonne of features. 

Front occupants enjoy creature comforts like heated and electrically-adjustable front seats that feature four-way lumbar support, extendable under-thigh support, as well as, three-position memory function. They also have a ‘kinetic’ function which I liken to gentle stretching.

Premium items include a panoramic sunroof, black headliner, dual-zone climate control, AMG floor mats, 360-degree view camera system, Burmester 3D sound system, hands-free powered boot lid and electrically folding rear seats (access to the controls are via the boot lid).

The built-in satellite navigation also features an augmented reality feature, which shows dynamic directions overlaid on a video feed. Some might call this gimmicky but it does help navigating a city with all of the little laneways!

On the exterior you get 20-inch alloy wheels with aerodynamic covers and a glossy black grille that features a repeated Mercedes-Benz star motif.

There are a few cool lighting features on the EQE like the Mercedes-Benz logo projected from the side mirrors, a 64-way coloured ambient lighting system and something that Mercedes calls ‘Digital Light’ – which are LED HD adaptive projector-like headlights.

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.

The 350 4Matic is an all-wheel drive with two electric motors that have a combined power output of 215kW and a massive 765Nm of torque. The lithium-ion battery has a large 90.5kWh capacity.

The 350 4Matic has a 0-100km/h sprint time of only 6.3-seconds but it feels gusty and you get a tummy-sucking sensation when you have to put your foot down.

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 350 4Matic has an official energy consumption figure of 17.6kWh. My average sat round 16.9kWh and that is after a lot of open road driving. Happy with that.

With a driving range of up to 590km, I didn’t feet any range anxiety!

The charging port is a Type 2 CCS which will accept up to 170kW on DC, which means you can charge it from 10 - 80 per cent in 33 minutes. On an 11kW system, you can see that time jump to just under 10hrs.

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.

With the amount of power the 350 4Matic model has, it’s no wonder I enjoy driving it! The motor is responsive and the car doesn’t shift around when you have to put your foot down, either.

The EQE handles beautifully on the road where it feels stable and sure of itself. It tackles corners without breaking a sweat and the steering is crisp.  

The ride comfort is high quality with suspension that smooths out bumps without feeling floaty. The cabin space is quiet even at higher speeds.

There are three levels of regenerative braking – none, normal or strong – ‘strong’ enables a one-pedal driving experience.

It’s responsive enough that you’re confident using it in stop/start city traffic but it wigs me out how the brake pedal moves by itself when activated!

I have kept the level at the default ‘normal’ setting but do tend to turn it off whenever I need to reverse because it can cause a ‘bunny hop’ effect at lower speeds.

The EQE is super easy to park with a clear 360-degree camera system, as well as, front and rear parking sensors. 

The EQE comes jammed pack with safety features and I think the 'Pre-Safe' systems are cool.

For example, a pre-crash audio tone will transmit through the speaker system when an imminent collision is detected. It elicits a reaction from your inner ear that dampens sound when the accident occurs. 

Other features that come standard, are LED daytime running lights, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping aids, lane departure warning, intelligent seat belt reminders, front and rear parking sensors, 360-degree view reversing camera, traffic sign recognition, driver fatigue monitor, and adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality.

The EQE also has rear collision emergency stop and stolen vehicle tracking. The autonomous emergency braking with car, pedestrian, and rear detection is operational from 7.0-80km/h (up to 250km/h for car detection).

The EQE achieved a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2022. There are a whopping 10 airbags, including a front centre airbag and drivers knee bag.

Back seat passengers also get side chest airbags, whereas its usual to only see these on the front row.

Families will be happy to see ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top tethers, but two seats will fit best. There’s plenty of room for front passengers when you install a 0-4 rearward facing child seat.

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.

On the EQE you’ll enjoy a five-year/unlimited km warranty and the battery is covered by a 10-year or up to 250,000km warranty (whichever occurs first) – which is better than most.

You can pre-purchase either a three-, four-, or five-year servicing plan and the five-year plan costs a flat $3555, or an average of $711 per service.

That’s quite expensive for an EV and the servicing intervals are more in line with a fuel-based car than an EV at every 12-months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.