Not all 4x4s are big enough to warrant their own postcode or thirsty enough to need their own oil wells. Take the Nissan X-Trail. It occupies no more road space than a family estate car, and it returns a healthy 37.2mpg.

The trouble is, the things that make 4x4s so unpopular with some people are just what endear them to caravanners. Heavy off-roaders make superb tugs. So can the X-Trail, which weighs almost half a tonne less than a Kia Sorento, still tow well enough to make a smart buy? To find out, we’ve put the 2.2 dCi Columbia to the test.