Imagine Keir Starmer in a clown suit and you’ll have some idea of what’s going on here. And we’re going to have to get used to it, because cars that look mad to conceal the fact that they are as sensible as brushing your teeth twice a day is the direction in which we are all headed.
Toyota’s claim that this new C-HR crossover SUV looks like a concept car for the road is not overstated. Everywhere I went people asked what it was, and whether it drove as it looked. Well, it is what Toyota calls a “self-charging hybrid” which is what everyone else calls a “hybrid”, namely one you can’t plug in, though one of those is available in the range.
This one comes in 1.8-litre and 2-litre capacities – the latter tested here – and delivers 193bhp through the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission. To drive it is both good and bad. The chassis, for which my hopes had not been high, is quite impressive.