Look, I’m sorry, but just because a diesel has won Le Mans it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to put an oil burner into a sports coupe. It’s a striking car, this glossy red Scirocco, and it gets plenty of attention. But twist the key and it rattles like an idling taxi. If that doesn’t shatter the illusion, a good drive will.

Dynamically it’s pretty good, very similar to the petrol versions, but your enthusiasm wanes with the miles. The 138bhp engine has got loads of torque, which gives the Scirocco a good kick from low rpm, but it’s a joyless thing, a thrummy, dull-sounding generator that leaves you hankering after the (relatively) fizzy, soaring lightness of the 1.4 TSI twin-charger petrol version.

So, saved by economy, then? Nope. Although it delivers less performance than the 158bhp 1.4 TSI we drove last month (9.3sec to 62mph versus 8.0) it costs £700 more and saves you only £200 or so a year on fuel and VED. Like alcohol-free lager, a diesel-powered Scirocco isn’t right.