Toyota C-HR review

It feels snug inside the C-HR, a product of the pyramid-shaped roofline and the high central console. It’s a deceptive feeling, though, as actual room around the driver's seat is adequate. It's a supportive seat too; you wouldn’t feel daunted doing longer distances in here.

The digital instrument panel works well, with crisp graphics and enough customisation available to make sure you have the information you want on display.

What’s the space like in the back?

There's useful legroom in the back, depending on how tall the pair up front are. Not so much space to tuck your feet under the chair in front either, but you have to remember that the C-HR is a reasonably small car. There’s enough headroom for rear passengers but a mean view out: the high doors and rear pillar take away a lot of side view, and children will feel especially short-changed.

It's better than the old C-HR but that's no recommendation: it’s the price you pay for style. An optional glass sunroof with heat-absorbing coating is Toyota's offer to make the cabin feel airier, but that coating makes the glass quite dark anyway. We’d give it a miss.

In the boot you’ve got 388 litres of space in the 1.8-litre engined cars and 364 litres in the 2.0 – lower on the latter because of the slightly bigger battery that supplies the higher-powered e-motor. Note that the PHEV’s boot is even smaller at 310 litres, on account of its bigger battery.

What’s the infotainment like?

If you avoid the entry car and its 8.0in infotainment system, there’s a decent 12.3in set-up for the rest of the range that works well. It’s adaptive and responsive and has far nicer typefaces and graphics than any Toyota or Lexus hitherto.

Thankfully not everything is on the screen. You get buttons below the touchscreen for climate control, centre console switches for the hybrid system and modes, and easy to use steering wheel buttons.

The quality of materials and ambient lighting around the cabin are up with VW Group rivals. Mind you it's Peugeot and Renault who do this stuff best in mass-market cars these days. And the Peugeot e-2008 is a very credible fully electric rival to the C-HR.