June 26 Another Goodwood Festival of Speed is coming to an end. I’m holed up at the Goodwood Hotel waiting to drive the forthcoming Maserati Levante to Monte Carlo tomorrow on a feature. Obviously, I’ve enjoyed the Outlander PHEV but am expecting a few more thrills in the Italian SUV (plus bigger fuel bills!).

So, since I last drove the PHEV more and more manufacturers have announced their intentions to go hybrid big time. We are about to be swamped with super-frugal cars of every shape and size.

I think the Outlander PHEV was something of a ground-breaking model in that respect. It wasn’t the first petrol-electric but it does seem to be the car that has convinced the great British public that a hybrid isn’t flakey.

It offers many of the qualities of a ‘conventional’ car without making ownership a compromise. It’s also very roomy, practical and reasonably priced – all backed up by Mitsubishi reliability. I like it in electric mode – it is just a shame the driving experience under petrol power is rather lifeless and uninspiring.

But don’t let me put you off. This is Mitsubishi’s best-selling model for good reason…