The Honda HR-V Sport is yet another sporty SUV

This is the Honda HR-V Sport. In short, it’s a 180bhp crossover, its 1.5-litre petrol turbo boosted a whopping 52bhp over standard, enough for a 7.8sec 0-62mph time and 134mph top speed.

There’s a choice of manual or CVT automatic gearboxes (if it really is sporty, you’ll want the former), more performance-minded suspension and a subtle bodykit mated to less shiny exterior detailing. It costs £27,595, a rise of about five grand over a 128bhp HR-V with similar spec.

In, um, less short, it’s yet another supposedly sporty crossover in a market that’s somewhat flooded with them. The SUV seemingly replaced affordable coupes and roadsters as the more interesting alternative to regular hatches and saloons, but is now confusedly heading back in a sporty direction as everyone races to stiffen theirs up and give them extra power.

Still, it’s clearly a winning formula. And the Honda HR-V is at least one of the more agile, enjoyable examples of the crossover breed, so it has a chassis that may be worth bestowing more power upon. We’ll find out when we drive it…