The admiring eyes firing in my direction from the passenger in the car that had just pulled up alongside at the M606 traffic lights were directed at the car, rather than its driver.

Clearly, it was the first time she had set eyes on the new C-HR and, after looking approvingly at the car’s silhouette for some time, she turned to her equally-intrigued partner and said: “It’s a Toyota.”

This was the first of several such encounters throughout the week-long test drive in Bradford as people took a lingering look at this fresh and funky machine.

The C-HR is without doubt one of the most head-turning cars to take to the roads in recent years - a fact made even more interesting because it has been manufactured by a company more normally associated with conventional-looking vehicles.

But these are exciting and adventurous times for the Japanese firm, which has also just enjoyed a remarkable podium finish in its comeback rally event in Monte Carlo with its aggressive-looking Yaris.

Just as the ‘Mad Max’-styled Yaris is designed to make a dramatic impact in the world of rallying, the C-HR is also aiming to break through in a market untapped by the Japanese giant: the crossover sector.

Although I was mightily impressed by the C-HR’s dynamic looks, my enthusiasm was not shared by two of my colleagues, who were rather less complementary about its appearance.

Love it or hate it, you can’t argue that it’s distinctive and has bags of character, which is a welcome trait in a crossover market packed with vehicles with ubiquitous curvy styling.

The C-HR combines some aspects of a coupe, hatchback and SUV and rolls them all up into one package.

Beneath the surface is a platform related to the new Prius, including its petrol-electric hybrid engine.

There’s an alternative of a 1.2-litre turbo petrol, tested here.

The C-HR is the second European model to receive Toyota’s new 1.2-litre direct-injection turbocharged petrol engine, with the Auris being the first.

Toyota says it offers performance similar to that of a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre engine but with significantly lower fuel consumption and emissions.

And it’s true to say that the engine provides fairly brisk acceleration for a 1.2-litre unit, but you’ll need to push the car to the top of the rev range to pull off an overtaking move. It also seemed to labour a bit on some of Yorkshire’s steeper hills but, when it was back on the flat, the engine pulled the car along with sufficient grunt.

The beauty of a smaller engine is that it produces some pretty decent economy figures, returning a pleasing mpg figure.

In terms of handling. the steering feels sharp and precise and there’s very little by way of body roll in the corners, making for an engaging driving experience.

Inside the cabin, the ambiance is very pleasant.

As with the exterior, you get the strong impression that Toyota has put real thought and care into the dashboard’s design. Eye catching features include a metallic blue strip that starts behind the steering wheel and sweeps upwards around the top of the 8-inch infotainment screen then drops down again and runs across the passenger’s side of the dash, giving things an integrated appearance.

The C-HR may not be as tall as some of its rivals in the crossover market, but you still feel to be sat in a commanding position behind the wheel. There’s plenty of space up front and no shortage of adjustment available for the driver and passenger seats. However, headroom in the back seemed to be more limited, perhaps a consequence of the high windowline brought about by the vehicle’s styling.

All in all, this is an intriguing new crossover with plenty to recommend it.

Toyota C-HR - the lowdown 

ENGINE: 1.2-litre petrol four-cylinder in-line
PRICE: £25,495 on the road
TRANSMISSION: Six-speed manual four-wheel-drive
PERFORMANCE: 0-62mph in 10.9 seconds and top speed of 118mph
ECONOMY: 47.1mpg combined and emissions of 136g/km