Mention must also be made of the third seat in the middle.

The Partner is the first van of this size to offer a third seat but to be honest I can’t see myself ever using it, unless I offer a midget a lift one day.

The legroom on offer is so restricted that an adult would never fit in.

If I was buying a Partner for myself, I’d go for the dual-seat option, which allows for a nice big storage bin to be fitted between the seats.

And talking of legroom, I’ve noticed a small problem that didn’t manifest itself when I first tested left-hand drive models in France.

There isn’t a lot of space for the left leg when it isn’t engaged in using the clutch.

There’s a ‘dead pedal’ to be sure but it’s positioned too high for a comfortable position for me.

I usually end up tucking my left foot under the brake and clutch pedals which isn’t ideal.

To be fair though, having made that complaint I am 6ft 3in and with long legs so probably shorter drivers wouldn’t find it a problem.

In the back there’s a handy wipe clean floor and a curious plastic roller blind behind the driver’s seat, which will stop prying eyes from seeing into the load area.

Those twin sliding rear doors at first seemed a tad OTT but you’d be surprised how many times they get used.

Underway the pleasant driving experience continues.

The cab is eerily quiet compared to in the old model and the lively 90bhp 1.6HDi diesel unit packs plenty of punch.

We haven’t had time to carry out a proper mpg test yet but will be reporting on that in future issues.