Someone imported this seemingly ordinary Toyota all the way from Japan

Here at Drive, we love finding a genuine odd car for sale and wondering ‘How did this car get here?’ and ‘What’s the story behind it?’.

Enter this 2017 Toyota C-HR – currently advertised on Facebook Marketplace – which on the surface seems perfectly inconspicuous.

However, look a bit closer and it is decked out with a Modellista body kit, taking – for some, at least – the head-turning C-HR small SUV to neck-snapping levels.

A massive rear wing, road-hugging side skirts, and chunkier front and rear bumpers adorn Toyota’s mild-mannered small SUV, and it’s all capped off with faux carbon-fibre fuel lid and door handles.

What also stands out is the quad exhaust outlets, which are a little suspect given this is a hybrid model powered by a 1.8-litre petrol engine and electric motor combination for a total output of just 90kW.

Astute readers will notice though that Australian-delivered C-HR models were not made available with a hybrid powertrain until 2019 with the introduction of a facelifted model, so how is this particular SUV a 2017-plated car?

It’s a Japanese import, which explains this oddity and wild styling choices.

The owner describes it as a recent import and even includes photos of the vehicle in its home country wearing Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) number plates.

As an import, you’ll also notice the infotainment touchscreen is all in Japanese, but luckily the symbols for phone, settings, and Bluetooth are universal.

Aside from the looks, this particular C-HR is showing 53,000km on the odometer, according to the seller, and has an asking price of $34,000 (negotiable upon inspection), but also comes with a roadworthy certificate and registration, as well as a full-service history and import certification.

How does this compare to what you can get in the local market?

At the time of writing, the Drive Marketplace shows 129 Toyota C-HRs for sale, kicking off at $23,990 – but that is for a 2017 base trim with an 85kW/185Nm non-hybrid 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine.

The most affordable hybrid C-HR on the Drive Marketplace is a 2019 model, priced at $31,990, but with a higher 90,1013km on the clock when compared with the Facebook Marketplace imported car.

However, all cars listed on the Drive Marketplace come from dealers, who have handpicked their top-quality stock for listing, and can come with a warranty for extra peace of mind.

Notably, a full Modellista body kit could run you up to $US933 ($AU1431), excluding shipping, so there is some value in the Facebook Marketplace find, you just have to make sure you love that styling.