Truly, though, is this any less pleasant than pressing on in an automatic diesel car? We’re not too sure it is. The transmission is a CVT auto, and the usual caveats regarding spirited driving apply: if you put the boot in, the Highlander tends to rev up to the nines and stay there. There’s none of that diesel rumble, and at a fast cruise the Highlander settles down to near-silence – even with only modest wind and road noise, the engine’s easily drowned out. Pulling away is smooth and rapid, and shuffling between petrol and electric is near-seamless. That extra power is a real boon, as it means you don’t need to strain the engine too hard to get a shift on. It’s the most powerful ‘self-charging’ hybrid fitted to a Toyota yet with 244bhp (the RAV4 plug-in hybrid is a little more powerful) and claims 0-62mph in 8.3 seconds. The last two decades of development mean the Highlander’s 2.5-litre is impressive under nearly all driving scenarios. There’s not even much of a ‘but…’ applied to this. It’s the latest evolution of Toyota’s 2.5-litre hybrid and it’s seriously good. Toyota’s hoping a standard hybrid powertrain (bringing with it low running costs), generous standard kit and a satisfyingly practical interior will do the trick. We lived with a Lexus RX L – read our report here

There’s even competition from within Toyota – the Lexus RX L, which is more powerful and luxurious but higher-priced than the Highlander.

This puts it toe-to-toe with some very strong, family-friendly competition, including the Skoda Kodiaq, Kia Sorento, Land Rover Discovery and Volvo XC90. Over here, the Highlander sits comfortably between the smaller RAV4 (with which it shares its GA-K platform) and the big daddy Land Cruiser.

Toyota highlander hybrid