He agreed.”The great problem we have is just getting bum’s on seats,” said Peter “which I think was a calculated pun. But Peter was warming to his task. “SEAT is a little undiscovered gem. There’s nothing negative about the brand.”

We went on to talk about the new SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive. The new car still retains its characterful three-cylinder engine, which is great news. I told Peter how much the car had surprised me (see road test SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive: go green, have fun).

“I agree!” enthused Peter. “The first time I took it home I thought this was our ‘hairshirt’ car. You know, worthy and all that but a bit boring. Wow! Once I’d been in it I realised how wrong I was. I got back to the office and insisted everyone drive the car. I think the new version will start to receive the recognition it deserves.”

I agree. You’ll be surprised how much fun an economical and low CO2 car can be – especially when the entry price is so low. It’s also pleasant to find an industry boss so genuinely enthused about his brand – without any of the pomposity that sometimes goes with the office.