By combining great design with drivability, Land Rover has pulled off a rare feat with the Range Rover Evoque. Its wide stance and sleek lines cloak a spacious cabin that is worthy of its premium status, while its 2.2-litre diesel engine delivers 150hp and a claimed combined of 56.5mpg.

That falls to 47.1mpg around town and is closer to the 43.4mpg achieved in our eD4 version over the past few weeks.

It all adds up to CO2 emissions of 133g/km – putting it in a benefit-in-kind tax bracket of 24% for 2015/16 – with a P11D price of £29,020.

On the motorway, it gives you a smooth ride, its suspension soaking up the worst potholes. In town, it feels responsive and nimble for its size, accelerating through the gears with ease, even if that takes you further away from quoted fuel efficiency figures. Unsurprisingly, it feels most at home in the countryside. Our two-wheel
drive Evoque effortlessly navigated the most challenging single-track roads I could throw at
it on a recent trip to mid-Wales.

On the inside, it continues to deliver, with
lots of leather, brushed steel and mood lighting. Land Rover has always managed to keep
cockpits uncluttered and the Evoque’s sparse mix of chunky buttons and knobs doesn’t require in-depth handbook knowledge.

Gareth Roberts