You have to hand it to the Vauxhall Zafira Tourer’s 1.6-litre diesel engine: you’d think it would struggle to pull over three tonnes of car and caravan, but the Vauxhall’s 16.2-second 30-60mph time shows this car will have no trouble keeping up with traffic when towing.

It’s a stable tow car, too, with little movement at the legal limit and beyond. In the lane-change test car and caravan were sliding on the two fastest runs, but given there was standing water on the track that’s no surprise. However sideways the caravan became, the Vauxhall always pulled it straight again.

The hill start was the Zafira’s weakest point. The handbrake needed a very firm pull to hold the outfit still, and plenty of revs were needed to persuade the Vauxhall to the top of the hill.

As a seven-seater there’s not a lot of room for bags, but with the third row folded into the floor we found room for every item of our typical holiday luggage. However, the towing electrics proved awkward to access, which cost the Vauxhall some points from the practicality judges.

If the official figures can be trusted, fuel bills should be low (68.9mpg on the combined cycle), and Vauxhall dealers generally offer sizeable discounts.