Depressingly, I’ve reached a point in my life where practicality ranks just as high as the way a car drives and looks. So, while I love the Toyota C-HR’s athletic side profile, I had concerns that it might struggle to accommodate bulky buggies and car seats in ways that a boxier SUV or a traditional hatch wouldn’t.

Clever styling masks a surprisingly practical interior

I needn’t have worried. The C-HR straddles what you might call the Juke and Qashqai segments, occupying a footprint that’s similar to the Auris, and there’s a surprisingly large amount of room under that steeply-raked roofline. Both rows can accommodate adults comfortably, there’s plenty of light in the front, though children in rear-facing seats will get a view of the upswept window and little else.

Boot volume suffers a little compared to a conventional hatchback, which is to be expected, and there’s quite a high lip to lift heavy objects over. However, the liftback shape offers a sizeable tailgate so there are few restrictions in terms of getting bulky boxes, buggy chassis and suchlike inside when needed. No need to give up on that kerbside appeal just yet.