2027 Toyota C-HR gets second-year BEV upgrade with standard electronic all-wheel drive and 338 hp

Toyota is rolling out details for the reinvented 2027 C-HR in its battery-electric (BEV) configuration, positioning the small crossover for its second year as a BEV model. In a release dated Aug. 6, 2026, Toyota U.S. described the 2027 C-HR as “charged up” for the second year of its BEV lineup and said the vehicle comes with standard electronic all-wheel drive.

The release highlights performance figures and a configuration change aimed at broadening appeal. Toyota said the 2027 C-HR BEV will include electronic all-wheel drive as standard equipment. Electronic all-wheel drive uses onboard control systems to manage power delivery to the wheels, rather than relying on a purely mechanical drivetrain design.

Toyota also cited a power rating for the 2027 C-HR BEV, stating it will deliver 338 total system horsepower. Total system horsepower is a combined measurement across the vehicle’s electric propulsion components, typically reported to reflect the net output the driver can use.

Toyota did not provide additional powertrain specifications in the announcement text available here, such as battery capacity, range targets, charging performance, or curb weight. It also did not state pricing, trim-level differences, or on-sale timing in the material used for this article.

While Toyota’s statement focuses on standard drivetrain content and horsepower, the C-HR positioning fits a broader push by automakers to offer compact electric crossovers in volumes that can match the mainstream gas-car segment. In those markets, drivetrain standardization, rather than pay-to-play options, can matter for shoppers comparing competitors on a like-for-like basis.

For Toyota, the C-HR’s continued BEV presence indicates a willingness to iterate quickly on a compact platform rather than treat each electric model as a long, incremental lifecycle. The company’s emphasis in this release is less about introducing an entirely new nameplate and more about keeping the BEV variant competitive with baseline hardware.

Toyota’s post did not disclose several items investors and buyers commonly look for on an EV product update, including EPA range estimates, battery warranty terms, kWh figures, or any changes to software features. It also did not describe how the standard electronic all-wheel drive may affect efficiency or real-world driving behavior.

What to watch next is whether Toyota follows this initial product reveal with specifications that can be compared directly to rivals, especially range, charging times, and any trim-based differences. Those details tend to determine how strongly an electric compact crossover can compete on daily usability, not just headline horsepower.