Lexus UX (2019–)

That’s likely to change in the near future but, for the time being, Lexus is making its move in a bid to exploit the current anti-diesel climate. The new Lexus UX is a small crossover of the same ilk of those cars mentioned above, but will only be sold with a ‘self-charging’ petrol-electric powertrain in the UK. It combines a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor positioned on the front axle.

There’s a four-wheel-drive model, badged the E-Four, with an extra electric motor powering the rear, but Lexus is expecting the majority of UK sales to be front-wheel-drive. The advantages of using a hybrid setup are clear. You don’t need to worry about being snubbed by your neighbours for buying a diesel, while there’s no need to plug it in like the upcoming Volvo XC40 plug-in hybrid.

There are perks for company car drivers too - they’ll pay BIK tax of 22 per cent, saving around £5000 over three years compared to diesel alternatives. It’s also very efficient. Officially the standard model will return upwards of 49.6mpg depending on spec, and we were seeing around 47.0mpg with little effort during our mountainous test drive in Spain.