Last month's canceled Geneva Motor Show was supposed to be Toyota's venue of choice to reveal its new compact crossover. However, after the Swiss government banned gatherings of more than 1,000, canceling the event, Toyota didn't rush to announce the new mode online – or anywhere. Instead, the automaker pushed back the debut, though Toyota didn't say when that would be. But a new report from AutoNoción says the reveal will happen this week – Thursday, April 23 – although the publication doesn't cite the source of this information.
Toyota's new compact crossover will slot below the C-HR, giving the Japanese automaker a model in the popular segment. It will ride on Toyota's TNGA-B platform, which also underpins the company's new Yaris compact hatchback. Power will come from a 1.5-liter gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain that will be capable of powering all four wheels through an all-wheel-drive system.
An April 23 reveal date seems soon, considering that the new model isn't expected to go on sale for another year in Europe, giving Toyota plenty of time to reschedule the reveal. Spy photos of the new crossover appeared last month, showing that there's still plenty of development left until the new model is ready for primetime. One of the spied test vehicles borrowed its body and lights from the previous-generation Yaris while the other test vehicle had more in common with the current-generation supermini hatchback.
Toyota has teased the model, though we have no idea how it'll look when it arrives. The automaker has said it'll wear a "compact, dynamic design" and have "a personality of its own." It appears the Yaris-based crossover will feature a conventional crossover design, forgoing the distinctive design of the C-HR for something a bit more traditional. Hopefully, we won't have to wait long to see Toyota's new crossover.
