Expect expensive road tax for the high-emission 1.8-litre petrol engine and frequent trips to refuel. It’s pretty thirsty, returning just 37mpg, compared to the diesel’s 45mpg – although neither is especially frugal for a car of this size. Go for the diesel if running costs are a concern, but be aware that the lower bills will take a while to compensate for the higher price tag.

Insurance ratings are competitive, while servicing needs to be undertaken annually or every 12,500 miles. An affordable three-year servicing package is also offered.

The diesel is the better choice for eco-conscious buyers. It emits 165g/km of CO2 and returns 45mpg, but this isn’t particularly impressive compared to other family cars like the Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf.

The previous Lancer model was largely reliable and despite the cheap-looking interior plastics, we expect this one to be just as tough. The 2.0 DI-D is a Volkswagen engine and has been well proven across the Volkswagen range as well as in SEAT, Audi and Skoda models.