We will never know exactly what the engineering department thought when Toyota's designers first presented the sketches for the C-HR, but we wouldn't mind betting it went something along the lines of 'what have those guys been smoking?' 

Implications for crash testing, aerodynamic drag coefficients, brake cooling and over-the-shoulder visibility notwithstanding, given the outlandish looks of the thing, would anyone even associate it with Toyota?  

Three-years-on and 50,000 UK sales later, those designers must be grinning like crazy cats from Cheshire. However, the original rendering was so profound, it pretty much ensured penning a facelift would be a very tricky undertaking. 

Minor changes

Sure enough, the latest nips and tucks to the C-HR have been limited to mildly reshaped bumpers, a new lighting layout, a trio of fresh colours - including a vibrant orange for the 500 first edition cars - and a couple of new alloy wheel designs.

Inside, changes also amount to not much more than a lick and a promise. The dashboard gains plusher-quality materials and the doors are treated to some funky panelling, but otherwise things look very familiar. 

While the latest infotainment system remains on the petite side and is still a wee bit slow-witted, there are more physical buttons surrounding the screen, making one-shot command prods more assured while driving. The biggest news, however, is that Toyota has finally caved in to 21st-century demands and provided the C-HR with Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity.

Hybrid only

With 80% of UK C-HR customers demanding hybrid powertrains, Toyota has ditched the 1.2-litre petrol engine and added an all-new 2.0-litre hybrid to the existing 1.8-litre version. 

The 1.8 remains pretty much as is, although the electric motor now draws its energy from a smaller, lighter, denser-energy lithium-ion battery.

Somewhat at odds with this advance, the new 2.0-litre 184hp version sticks with the older-style nickel-metal hydrid battery, but you may forgive this, given that the 2.0-litre petrol engine is said to be 50% more powerful than the 1.8 and only 10% less fuel-efficient. 

Overall, the 2.0-litre unit's performance is pretty wholesome and the powertrain is super-smooth - so much so, you will struggle to sense any mechanical transitions between electric and petrol modes as the CVT automatic transmission delivers the power to the front wheels. 

Toyota has also worked diligently to reduce mechanical noise, vibration and harshness, as well as making significant advancements in software integration, to help minimise the peculiarities of the CVT, which typically allows the engine revs to soar exuberantly and create a distinct drone under forceful acceleration. To be fair, most folk will quickly learn to adapt their driving style to negate this rev-hungry trait by metering the accelerator pedal to stay just ahead of car's acceleration.