Compared with the five-door Ceed, the Proceed looks equally good in terms of value for money, particularly alongside alternatives like the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch. Backing this up is an industry-leading, seven-year warranty that reflects the manufacturer’s confidence in the quality of its new cars while depreciation is expected to be at least average.

Petrol models show good overall economy and the 1.6-litre CRDi is even better, averaging up to 62mpg.

Diesel models are competitive with equivalents offered by mainstream rivals, so the Proceed performs just as well on the ‘green’ front as other cars of this type. The 1.6 CRDi is the most environmentally friendly, averaging 59mpg and emitting 119g/km of CO2 which makes it cheap to tax.

With a 100,000-mile transferable warranty package extending to seven years on the engine and gearbox (and 100,000-miles cover for five years on everything else) new and used buyers get considerable peace of mind, provided the manufacturer’s servicing schedules are maintained.