NB of Littlebourne’s email was timely for me since, that very day, whilst driving my 2010 diesel automatic Honda CR-V in sub zero conditions, I experienced hesitation seemingly from the gearbox. I set out from cold and after about two miles (say 10 minutes) of 30mph limit, was trying to accelerate, when the limit changed to 40 mph. At first the car hesitated for a few seconds, then accelerated well, with my right foot strongly on the pedal.

Does the CR-V have similar problems of interference from its electronics as the Scenic? All this took my mind back to the days when diesel engines were more basic and were supposed to be the panacea for pollution problems. In its quest to bring down pollution levels, has government legislation gone a step too far with diesel particulate filters, and introduced a new potential danger (and considerable expense) to driving a diesel car?