From inside, it’s no surprise to learn that people have queried Toyota’s decision not to badge the Mirai as a Lexus.
The interior is a cut above most other Toyotas in tactility and finish, presumably to help it to fill out the comparatively vast price tag. And while it doesn’t preclude the use of a shiny plastic fascia, in other areas the cabin is agreeably soft to the touch.
Toyota has taken to heart the idea that it can make a hydrogen fuel cell fit a modest-sized, practical car, and the Mirai comes across as a right-sized solution.
Visibility is hindered a little by the double-storey dashboard, which incorporates twin information displays, but otherwise the cabin is as roomy as you’d expect a small saloon’s to be.
It won’t win awards for spaciousness in the back, but the fact that it fairly comfortably seats two medium-size adults despite all the gubbins required underneath is something of a triumph.
You probably wouldn’t realise that Toyota has had to find room for a fuel cell stack and two hydrogen tanks until you looked in the boot. Even here there is a serviceable 361 litres, but the foreshortened length (compared with what you’d find in a conventionally powered car) is a fair indication that load space has been sacrificed.
While this has some impact on usability, it hardly detracts from the base-level delivery of a usable and rather pleasant interior.