The Mazda CX-5 can hold its head high, performing well in a class crammed with much more expensive cars.

It’s not as quick as some of those pricier models, but the 30-60mph time of 12.5 seconds is hardly slow, thanks to the engine’s 310lb ft of torque.

All that pulling power helps with the hill-start test, too – up to a point. The electronic parking brake held the car and caravan still and released without allowing the outfit to roll back, but clutch and throttle needed to be carefully balanced to pull to the top of the hill. It’s worth noting that an automatic gearbox is available for an extra £2000.

In a straight line, the CX-5 makes a stable tow car at legal speeds. When we pushed on to 65 or 70mph we could feel the caravan beginning to move around.

The Mazda handled the lane-change test well, never being pulled off course, even with the tourer starting to slide behind it.

A decent tow car from the driver’s seat, then, but the Mazda loses ground in terms of practicality. The boot isn’t the biggest, and the towing electrics are fiddly to hook up to as the socket moves as you try to twist in the caravan’s plug.

You may want to forgive this foible, however, as the CX-5 is very enjoyable in everyday driving, with nimble handling and strong performance. You also get a long list of standard kit at a very reasonable price.