Regarding the latest technology, Americans are used to waiting a couple of years for the coolest tech out of Japan to reach U.S. shores.
Whether it’s the latest PlayStation or a new style of smartphone, the savviest of U.S. consumers read about the latest Japanese tech months or even years before Americans can get their hands on it.
💵💰Don’t miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet’s free daily newsletter 💰💵
The car industry can sometimes be like that, and vehicles exclusive to one region often do not find markets in others.
Take the Volkswagen Passat station wagon, for instance. VW introduced the ninth generation of the mid-sized sedan in 2023. But the station-wagon version of the sedan is only sold in Europe, much to the consternation of its U.S. fans.
Although Toyota is the most-sold vehicle in the U.S., the Japanese mainstay keeps some of its popular vehicles off U.S. streets.
However, this week, the car company confirmed a popular vehicle that was once a big seller in the U.S. is returning in updated form.
The Toyota C-HR Hybrid is coming back to the U.S.
Image source: Messens/Getty Images
Toyota confirms U.S. return of C-HR crossover
This week, Toyota confirmed that it will be returning the all-electric version of its C-HR crossover to U.S. shores in 2026.
The original C-HR sold as a gas-only compact crossover between 2018 and 2022, but the vehicle left after being converted into an all-electric vehicle.
The U.S. EV version will have an estimated driving range of up to 290 miles with 77 kWh of capacity. That is a downgrade from the European version, which gets up to 373 miles of range.
The discrepancy is due to different testing standards in the U.S. and EU.
While its contemporaries like General Motors (GM) , Hyundai, and Kia offer EVs in different sizes and shapes to its customers in the United States, the Toyota brand offers just one electric vehicle in its lineup: the bZ4X crossover SUV.
Toyota debuted the new European version of the C-HR, C-HR+, during an event in Brussels in March.
“Style-wise, the C-HR+ borrows some styling cues from other Toyota models, including the Prius and Crown hybrids and the refreshed Camry sedan, including its aggressive nose and LED eyes,” AutoBlogs James Ochoa wrote.
Japan has a big role in the U.S. market
It has been over 60 years since the Toyopet Crown landed on U.S. shores, marking the first time a Japanese-made vehicle would be sold Stateside.
It’s been about 40 years since the Japanese collective featuring Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Mazda was able to challenge the Big 3 automakers, Ford, GM, and Chrysler, for the top sales crown in the U.S.
The Japanese auto sector represents 20% of all the country’s exports, according to a U.N. report this year. Japan exports about $41 billion worth of cars to the U.S. annually.
Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast
