How much space is there?

Rear legroom isn’t particularly impressive for the class and neither is headroom. You’ll get four six-footers in, but those in the back won’t be particularly happy.

Toyota has packaged the plug-in hybrid well ofr people though, which means it has the same amount of passenger space as the standard car. The battery pack and chargers are mounted under the floor of the cabin, about where they’d be in an EV, meaning headroom and legroom are unchanged. Granted, it’s still not as spacious as Niro, but that’s beside the point.

Boot space and storage

The boot is also on the small side, maxing out at 388-litres in the 1.8 Hybrid. Choose the 2.0-litre and this drops to 364-litres, with the plug-in likely to have even less. There’s a little bit of a load lip and no two-level boot floor, while the rear screen’s angle limits room when you remove the parcel shelf.

That lack of space is emphasised in the plug-in hybrid. Toyota had to sacrifice some boot space to make everything fit into the C-HR’s bodyshell – and the sacrifice is quite a big one. The standard 1.8-litre’s 388 litres of boot spaceis reduced to 310.

What’s worse for Toyota is that Kia Niro PHEV has 348 litres of boot space. Then again, the Niro’s design focuses more on function rather than form, so you need to decide what you value more – ruthless practicality or snazzy looks.

Is it easy to park?

By virtue of the C-HR’s relatively compact city-friendly dimensions, as well as the rear park assist camera and front and rear parking sensors that come fitted as standard, it’s a relatively easy car to park.

Forward visibility is decent, though not so good over the shoulder as the rear are almost non-existent. The rear camera display is crisp and bright, and that’s good for getting you into parking bays or between cars on the street.

Safety

• Not yet tested by Euro NCAP
• It will score well, given all the systems
• Excellent driver-assistance tech

Euro NCAP are yet to test this generation of C-HR, but its predecessor performed very well albeit in 2017. A new platform designed to appease tougher testing should mean the current model does even better, although only time will tell.

All versions of the C-HR come loaded with safety and driver assist tech. This includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, road sign assist and adaptive cruise control. Lane departure assist is also included, and it can also assist with the steering on the motorway and other clearly marked roads that aren’t too bendy.