• Bold interior won’t be for everyone…
• …it is functional and easy to use
• Media system trails behind rival setups

How is the quality and layout?

We like the layered design to the dashboard and the diamond-patterned door inserts, even if these are rather hard to the touch. But there are still large swathes of bland-looking plastics, which do make the intricacies elsewhere seem a little tokenistic.

Much of the exterior is shaped to make you think of diamonds, and reinforcing this message there is a diamond motif throughout the interior – from the shape of the button clusters on the steering wheel and below the infotainment screen to the unusual cut-outs in the rooflining.

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Infotainment and tech

The most prominent part of the interior is Toyota’s old-school infotainment system, standard on every model, which sits proud at the leading edge of the dashboard in a distinctive asymmetrical frame.

It’s high-up in the driver’s eye-line, making it easy to check without looking too far from the road and the physical shortcut buttons around the outside aid ease of use, but it’s still a way behind the systems you’ll find in a VW, especially the graphics and fonts, which look like they’ve been nicked from a Casio watch.

 Still, the C-HR doesn’t place a lot of reliance on a touchscreen, which is good news. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard too.

Comfort

• Comfortable front seats
• High-set driving position
• Poor visibility for those in the rear

The cabin in the C-HR is spacious and comfortable for those up front, with seats that are available with heating and lumbar adjustment. Excel and GR Sport models get sportier-looking items, but they are supportive and all do a good job. It’s easy to find a comfortable driving position, and the high-set driving position leaves you with a good view forwards.

It’s not so good in the rear. Leg and kneeroom are adequate, and there’s not much of a view out thanks to small side windows and those bulky front seats. Compared with other coupe-SUVs, such as the Citroen C4 and Renault Arkana, the C-HR is particularly disappointing in this respect.

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