Our intrepid Auto123 contributor Michel Crépaut criss-crossed Croatia in a plug-in hybrid Toyota C-HR. Here’s the first part of our review.
I went for a drive in Croatia behind the wheel of a Toyota C-HR. While that might not knock your socks off, it should interest you for at least two reasons: one, the C-HR compact crossover is back in Canada after a four-year absence; two, Croatia happens to be the most visited country among those that replaced the former Yugoslavia.
The former Yugoslavia. A country that is no more. Before mixing cars and tourism, we should take a moment to get familiar with at least a bit of Croatia's geographical and historical context.
A short history
At the start of the last century, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the largest state in the Balkans region (named after the mountains that cross Bulgaria). It’s a peninsula generously watered by the Danube, Sava and Soča rivers to the north, the Adriatic Sea to the west, the Black Sea to the east and the Aegean and Mediterranean seas to the south.
Coexisting in this part of the world are three major religions (Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity and Sunni Islam) and several simmering nationalist ambitions. At times, the simmer has raised to a boil, making of the region a powder keg.
In 1914, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife triggered World War I. In 1991, we witnessed the implosion of Yugoslavia.
When ruled by Josip Broz, alias Marshal Tito, Yugoslavia comprised six republics: Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Macedonia, as well as two autonomous provinces within Serbia (Kosovo and Vojvodina). On the death of Tito in 1980, the lid the dictator had maintained over national, ethnic and religious tensions blew off.
Followed a 10-year civil war (1991–2001), at the end of which the republics became countries. Macedonia added “North” to its name to distinguish itself from the ancient Macedonia of Alexander the Great, while Kosovo declared its independence (which Serbia still refuses to recognize).
The borders barely moved, but that civil war left 133,000 people dead: 20,000 in Croatia, 13,000 in Kosovo and 100,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina due to the ethnic cleansing by Serbia's Slobodan Milošević and the four-year siege of Sarajevo. Yes, the very place where, in 1984, some 50 nations had peacefully participated in the XIV Olympic Winter Games.
The resurrection
These tragic stories were racing through my mind as I prepared our 2,000-km road trip over 14 days. Which was, I grant you, a pitifully insignificant distance when considering the 256,000 square km occupied by the countries of the former Yugoslavia. That’s about the equivalent of New Zealand.
Recent troubles aside, here’s the thing about modern Croatia: before my departure, I met a staggering number of people who were returning from the place, or were planning to go, or knew someone discovering it at that very moment.
The idyllic coastlines, the UNESCO World Heritage sites, the charismatic filming locations, like that of Game of Thrones — the reasons to visit are numerous and enticing.
Thanks to Toyota's Austrian branch and the Keusch Toyota/Lexus dealership in Vienna, I was going to be able to discover the place for myself behind the wheel of a Pearl White C-HR GR PHEV. GR as in Gazoo Racing, the automaker's sport division, and PHEV as in Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle.
This plug-in hybrid C-HR, distinct from our new all-electric C-HR, features a dynamic, curvy and sharp design, light-years away from the beige-ism that afflicted the brand for decades.
The 2.0L 4-cylinder engine and front-wheel-drive electric motor paired with an e-CVT together produce 223 hp and provide an all-electric range of about 60 km.
Not in Canada, you say?
But don’t look for this PHEV version back home. Since last March, Toyota Canada has returned the C-HR to our market, but only the fully electric model, in front-wheel drive (SE) and all-wheel drive (XSE AWD and XSE Premium AWD) configuration. Why? Because we show an increasingly strong appetite for EVs, especially when supported by government incentive programmes. And because Toyota's domestic PHEV offering is already robust thanks to the RAV4 and Prius; why risk cannibalizing its own EVs? And finally, because the 100-percent electric C-HR is only the automaker's third EV on the Canadian market, after the bZ and bZ Woodland.
Toyota wants to enrich its lineup using a multi-technology strategy: expanding distinct powertrains (from gas to hydrogen) and offering varied levels of electrification, from mild (hybrid) to full (EV) through moderate (plug-in), in order to meet consumer preferences and budgets.
In any event, since my trip, Toyota has also introduced to Europe the redesigned new, all-electric C-HR – only there it’s called C-HR+.
The disappointment
Before making our way to Croatia via Slovenia, my partner and I were set on making a detour west to the village of Fusch, the gateway to one of the world's most famous scenic routes: the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse.
We were enticed there by the promise of 48 km of Alpine twisties and a succession of oohs and aahs in the face of breathtaking views of the Grossglockner, Austria's highest peak at 3,798 metres, and its Pasterze glacier. We were excited like kids on Christmas Eve. Our C-HR GR was going to have a field day.
Or so we thought. Right at the beginning of the famous road, there’s a chalet where you must stop to pay tribute in the form of a 37-euro toll. In this chalet, a TV relays 24/7 footage of the weather at the summit. While we were enjoying the warmth and sun at the base, a blizzard raged above us!
The receptionist informed us that, had the C-HR GR's 20-inch wheels been fitted with chains, she would have let us pass. But they weren’t, and she didn’t. “Too risky”, she said.
I thought of the new C-HR now on the market and getting ready to confront our world-class Canadian winter. “What if I were driving the new, fully redesigned, all-electric C-HR with electronic all-wheel drive? Would I then have your blessing?"
She smiled but remained steadfast: “Today, chains are absolutely required.”
Alas, we were not going to slalom the Grossglockner, for risk of slaloming right off the road.
The change of plans created a new problem, since our next Airbnb was waiting for us in Heiligenblut, at the southern exit of the Alpine pass. And if you can’t go over the top of the mountain, you have to go around it of course. That meant a 150-km detour. Thankfully, our frustrations slowly gave way under the charms of the picture-postcard scenery of the Salzach Valley, dotted with bright meadows, snow-capped peaks and typical Austrian villages. This gentle route also serves as a backdrop to the medieval fortress of Mittersill and the impressive Felbertauern Tunnel, an engineering feat that conquered the mountain range in 1967.
The tunnel runs 5.3 km in darkness, which prompted the C-HR to activate night mode for the navigation display on the central 12.3-inch screen (14-inch on the EV), while my partner amused herself with the ambient lighting's 64 colours. It made for a slightly surreal passage through what felt like a parallel world.
The exception
Once returned into the light, to reach Croatia, you have to drive about 100 km through neighbouring Slovenia. It’s said that that country was “lucky” because the 10-year war only affected it for 10 days, after which (and at the cost of some 60 lives) it gained its independence. It’s also said of Slovenia that it successfully “turned its Yugoslav heritage into a European success,” as it joined the European Union in 2004 and enjoys a standard of living comparable to Austria’s thanks to GDP per capita of around 30,000 euros (2025 figure).
In his border post booth, barely deigning to take an interest in our passports, a moustachioed guard said nothing but pointed his chin in the direction of his country. OK then. And a very good day to you, sir!
Now we had to get a sticker, a pass that would permit us to use the road network (Google had warned me, don’t ask the silent customs officer). The pass was to be purchased at the first service station: 16 euros for a 7-day permit.
Later, at the end of the trip, we had to cross another Slovenian border to bring the C-HR back to Vienna. But this time around, we were going to be in-country for only 42 km. I began to seriously consider going delinquent and skipping the pass. The one we’d bought coming through earlier, valid for 7 days, had expired. And you can’t buy a pass for just 24 hours. I paid. I better understand why Slovenians' GDP is thriving.
Freedom of expression
While in Slovenia, why not stop in Ljubljana, we said. One of Europe's smallest capitals. By the way, as you may know, parking in many European cities is by default a nightmarish experience. From our very first night in Vienna, I cannot begin to tell you the patience and swear words required whilst attempting to park the car. It wasn’t the C-HR GR PHEV’s fault. Its 4.36-metre length, about that of the Hyundai Kona, is reasonable. The electric C-HR adds 17 cm more, by the way. In any case the European PHEV's interior is relatively roomy for all that. We would get confirmation of that in a few days when my sister and her husband joined us.
In any event, in Ljubljana, we struggled for parking just as we had elsewhere. But once the C-HR was tucked safely away in the railway station's paid car park, we set off on foot to explore Slovenia's economic and cultural centre.
Only 293,000 inhabitants, including some 50,000 university students who, according to travel agents, give Ljubljana what you’d call a “youthful charm”. Though that also means strolling pedestrians are sometimes in danger due to students zigzagging crazily at breakneck speed on their bicycles and electric scooters.
And graffiti everywhere! Taking advantage of the fact that her flock of Japanese tourists was snapping photos of a Franciscan church's pink walls, I asked our guide what was behind the ubiquity of the scribbling.
“I wish I had an answer,” she said with a resigned look.
“Young people with a political message?” I suggested.
“It's possible. Idleness too. Kids will be kids.”
I later read a quote from a graffiti artist: “Ljubljana's city centre is too clean. It needs to be dirtied to look alive.”
The authorities let it slide. I suspect they feel a certain pride in knowing their city is considered the epicentre of European underground culture. Right along with the graffiti, art galleries abound in Ljubljana. This tolerance, this freedom of expression must spread a welcome social balm after the atrocities of war.
From its perch, the local castle shares a touching proximity with the city's historic heart. To visit it, you have a choice of a steep climb of a walk, or a funicular. We chose neither, preferring to explore architect Jože Plečnik's Triple Bridge, three charming short bridges that span the Ljubljanica River, almost touching one another. After that, an enchanting twilight stroll along the riverbanks lined with terraces and cafes.
To be continued…
