The Subaru Levorg is an oddball, but an appealing one.

The bonnet scoop suggests this is a performance car, but acceleration from the 1.6-litre petrol engine is warm rather than hot, with a 30-60mph time of 11.8 seconds towing a caravan.

The engine revs keenly, though, and the engine note is so much easier on the ear than the dull drone of a diesel.

Most of our drivers found the Levorg stable at speed, but it did move around more than the best middleweight tow cars in strong crosswinds.

However, when slowing from motorway speeds the Al-Ko ATC sensors on the caravan showed little movement. Hill starts were easy, too, very impressive considering the 1.6-litre petrol unit has nothing like the low-rev pulling power of most diesels.

Precise steering comes into its own once you have left the caravan behind and the road has cleared, but it’s a shame it doesn’t provide more feedback and there’s a firm edge to the ride at times.

The boot very nearly had room for every item from our testing load of holiday luggage, and we’re pleased that the Subaru has such a high maximum noseweight for a small and relatively light car.

There’s just one spec level, with a good amount of standard equipment and the reassurance of a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP.

The trouble is it’s a relatively small car, at a high price, with a thirsty engine. That makes it hard to wholeheartedly recommend.