A few years ago, the leaders of Japan were so fed up with brash China dominating the world stage, that its government launched a gentle charm offensive to remind the world – including Britain – who their friends really are.
It was so subtle and polite, you may have missed it, though I was quietly briefed on it.
But there was a certain irony in the irritation and annoyance emanating from the Land of the Rising Sun.
For back in the 1960s and 1970s it was Japan that was the disruptive new kid on the block with its clever electronics, ever smaller transistor radios, innovative Walkman music cassette tape players, and above all their well-stocked, reasonably priced and highly reliable cars and motor bikes – putting the UK motor industry to shame and forcing to the wall those parts that didn’t keep up.
By the 1990s and 2000s it was neighbouring Korea that was making the weather as long-gone Daewoo, but still thriving Kia and Hyundai arrived.
But now it’s the turn of Chinese car manufacturers, with their tech-packed mainly electric vehicles, undercutting legacy rivals to shake things up…
So it was rather nice this week to be ever so politely and quietly reminded by Toyota what good cars our long-standing, but sometimes overlooked, Japanese friends still make.
Toyota were wisely reluctant to fully embrace the electric revolution and for a long time kept their options open with petrol-electric self-charging hybrids and plug-in hybrids, but have recently been expanding their electric portfolio.
Enter the smart new C-HR+ coupe-like electric SUV, which I recently drove along motorways, country roads and around town.
It joins the Urban Cruiser and bizarrely named bZ4X models in Toyota’s EV SUV line up.
The C-HR+ offers plenty of kit – including heated seats – as standard, and has a non-nonsense interior a with non-leather and recycled plastic seat and trim materials.
It is also very simple to navigate dashboard controls thanks to commons-sense physical buttons and knobs leaving the 14-inch central touch screen for navigation, music and media.
Priced from £34,495, the smart and contemporary-looking five-seater crossover qualifies for the taxpayer-funded £1,500 electric car grant, reducing the starting price to £32,995.
Available in two battery options and three trim specs (Icon, Design and Excel), the base 57.7kWh model in Icon has a range of up to 284 miles – enough to get from London to Middlesbrough on one charge.
I drove the well-stocked C-HR+ front-wheel drive model with the more powerful 77kWh (165bhp) electric motor in mid-range Design trim, costing £36,995 (£35,495 after grant) on the road.
That included a fetching copper-like exterior premium paint called Metal Oxide which was a £950 option.
Riding on 18-inch wheels (20 inch are optional) and powered by a 165kW (221bhp) lithium-ion battery, it accelerated briskly from rest to 62mph in 7.3 seconds, up to a top speed limited to 99mph.
Claimed range for my car is 377 miles – enough to get from London to Berwick on the Scottish border.
It’s a comfortable ride, with suspension tuning adding sporty character to the driving.
Spacious in the back with privacy glass and a decent-sized 416-litre boot, so there’s plenty of flexibility for a busy family.
There’s one main driving mode, with an option of ECO driving or Snow.
Toyota offers 150kW DC fast-charging across the line-up and includes a practical 11kW onboard AC charger for convenience.
Top Excel trim starts from £40,995.
CARS & MOTORING: ON TEST
