Toyota is one of the most popular automakers in the world, but that doesn’t mean that every single Toyota model is destined for greatness. That’s exactly the case with the Toyota C-HR, which is a solid option like most Toyotas are, but isn’t very popular with car shoppers. In fact, sales of the already unpopular Toyota C-HR got even worse in the 2022 model year, and here’s a look at why that may be the case.

The Toyota C-HR saw a massive drop in sales in 2022

In 2021, Toyota only sold about 36,000 units of the C-HR. By the same time in 2022, the Japanese auto giant only sold just over 12,000 units. That’s a massive 66% drop in sales year-over-year. By total annual sales, that puts the C-HR on the same level as unpopular or rare Toyota sedans such as the Avalon or the GR86. Even the Chevy Spark sold more units in 2022 than the C-HR did. 

According to GoodCarBadCar, the entire auto industry didn’t have a good year in terms of sales. The most popular Toyota model is the RAV4, and compared to last year, it’s selling about 10% worse. The Camry is another popular Toyota car, but it’s selling 6% worse compared to last year. This is similar to what’s happening to other cars, as the Ford F-Series also saw a roughly 10% drop in sales.

The reason for those popular cars underperforming likely has to do with the supply chain crisis. Those supply chain issues meant that there were fewer cars rolling out the factories, which meant fewer cars that could be sold. Undoubtedly, the supply chain crisis also affected unpopular models such as the C-HR, but the subcompact Toyota SUV has always been a poor seller.

Despite being a relatively new offering, the Toyota C-HR has never been popular

Normally, low sales numbers are to be expected since the C-HR is a relatively new SUV offering, and it’s competing in the subcompact crossover segment. It debuted in the 2018 model year, but it wasn’t a huge hit. Its sales peaked in 2018, which was its first full year on the market. In 2018, Toyota sold a total of just under 50,000 units of the car.

That’s a decent amount, but the reviews weren’t good. The subcompact Toyota wasn’t the worst crossover on the market, but there were simply many better options, including better options from Toyota.

As such, 2019 was a decent year for the SUV, as Toyota sold just under 49,000 units. The C-HR’s sales only got worse in 2020 however, and it got even worse by 2021. Unsurprisingly, these poor sales numbers is why Toyota decided to scrap the C-HR for the U.S. market.

What’s happening to Toyota’s least popular SUV?

The 2022 model year is the C-HR’s last model year in North America, and it’s a big reason why its sales collapsed so much compared to 2021. The Corolla Cross, which is also a subcompact crossover, took over the C-HR’s place in the lineup. That being said, the Japanese automaker isn’t done with the C-HR, as it’s still producing and selling the SUV in other markets. 

On top of that, Toyota is giving the C-HR a complete makeover. This redesign changes a lot about the SUV, and it includes giving the Toyota a more unique external style. Under the hood, the new C-HR will also likely be a plug-in hybrid. The brand-new C-HR will definitely be on sale in Europe in the near future, but the open question is if Toyota will reintroduce the SUV back into the American car market.