It’s testimony to how well the Volkswagen tows that the Tiguan Allspace has more than held its own against cars costing £20-£30,000 more.

After driving the VW through the lane-change test our What Car? road tester wrote two words in his notes: “spot on”. The car remained fully under control however aggressively it was asked to change direction.

If you need to stop rather than swerve to avoid a collision, the Tiguan Allspace takes less road to stop than most cars – just 10.6 metres on dry Tarmac.

Starting off on a 1-in-6 slope was easy. The electronic parking brake held car and caravan still then released cleanly, and the engine’s 369lb ft of torque easily hauled the outfit to the top of the hill.

The engine’s poke isn’t in doubt. However, its refinement is. Compared with the six-cylinder diesels fitted to the more expensive SUVs in this year’s tests, the VW’s bi-turbo four-cylinder engine sounds noisy and strained at times.

However, the 30-60mph time of 9.2 seconds means the Tiguan Allspace will confidently overtake slower traffic.

Inside, the Allspace offers more room than the Tiguan on which it is based.

There’s a third row of seats to make space for seven. The extra length also provides more boot space, although we couldn’t find room for every item of our typical load of holiday luggage.

As a car to drive day-to-day, the VW Tiguan Allspace is comfortable and agile. Aside from the gruff engine, refinement is good and besides, engine noise settles down once cruising.