An improved diesel engine isn’t the sort of thing that’d normally pique or interest, but this time around it’s worth paying attention. It’s a fettled version of Honda’s 1.6-litre oil burner, and it’s good for a faintly ridiculous 76.3mpg.

Sure, we’ve seen that kind of figure claimed before, but for this particular engine, the magic number has been obtained using the new Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). The test cycle has been “developed using actual driving data gathered from around the world,” so in other words, you might actually be able to achieve the kind of figures it offers in the real world.

For years, cars on this continent have been tested with the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), which is so gentle you have pretty much zero chance of replicating the associated economy claims. The new version of the ‘i-DTEC’ Honda lump is one of the first to be tested by WLTP instead of NEDC.