Thus Sportage hasn’t been crash tested by Euro NCAP, but its sister car – the Hyundai Tucson – was awarded a four star safety rating. That’s respectable and on par with cars like the Nissan X-Trail and Honda CR-V. The Sportage gets ABS with electronic brake force distribution and traction control, while XS models also have a standard electronic stability programme (ESP).

Six airbags are standard, with side airbags for front seat passengers and curtain airbags which deploy in a side impact or rollover.

The rear sears in the Sportage use a system called ‘Fold-and-Dive’ which consists of 60/40 split seats where the cushion sections are supported on hinged legs. When you need to boost boot space, the cushion moves forward and down into the rear footwell at the touch of a button, allowing the backrests to go flat, flush with the boot floor. This creates a load space almost 1.5 metres long and the front passenger seat also folds in half to allow even longer objects to be carried.

The tailgate glass can be opened independently (very useful in multi-storey car parks) and there’s a wide range stowage in the cabin, including a large centre console with storage boxes, big door pockets and two cupholders in both the front and rear of the centre console.