After 6500 miles of varied driving at home and abroad, our HR-V’s fuel consumption computes to an average of 53.1mpg, with the past 500 miles involving a respectable 55.2 miles for every diesel gallon consumed.

The January peak of 59.4mpg contrasts with a recent low point of 48.7mpg, something of a self-inflicted penalty imposed during 10 days of experimenting with switching off the virtuous green leaf  ‘eco’ mode and a fair amount of commuting into and out of Oxford.

Our time to date with Honda’s contender in the burgeoning small SUV crossover ranks indicates an attainable real-world range of 580-plus miles from the 10.9-gallon (50-litre) fuel tank.

This relative frugality is down to a variety of factors. The HR-V is based on the new Honda Jazz’s weight-pared platform, clothed in a chunky aerodynamically efficient profile, aero tweaks include a multi-layered, almost Formula One-style approach to the front end (see picture), plus there’s the well-matched combination of 120hp 1.6-litre diesel engine and six-speed manual transmission with the highest ratio generating a relaxed 2000rpm at 70mph.

Finally, nagging change-up-or-down dashboard indicators are often misleading, but the HR-V’s green arrow usually points in the right direction, particularly when a lower gear is advised.