The newly launched mid-sized crossover has already seen a sales surge this year and this will be boosted by the arrival in October of the 1.6-litre i-DTEC engine already available in the Civic.

Featuring a six-speed manual gearbox and two-wheel drive – there's no automatic or all-wheel-drive option – the 1.6 diesel CR-V will have CO2 emissions starting at 119g/km, putting it in the 18% band for company car tax, while road tax will be only £30 a year.

By side-stepping issues with fleets that ban four-wheel drive cars and those with a CO2 output higher than 130g/km, the 1.6 i-DTEC is expected to see significant take-up by fleets. Six out of 10 UK customers are expected to be business drivers.

Honda expects the new model to claim a quarter of all CR-V sales in the UK next year, boosting the total to around 17,000. In the first half of this year sales of the 2.2-litre diesel model were up by 148% on 2012, while the petrol version recorded a 111% sales increase.

The new 1.6 engine is said to be the lightest in its class, weighing 47kg less than the 2.2. Overall the 1.6 CR-V is 116kg lighter than the 2.2, mainly through ditching the four-wheel drive system.

This has allowed the suspension to be retuned to improve agility and comfort, while the size of the brakes has been reduced without impairing stopping power.

The 1.6 i-DTEC will be available in three trim levels, with prices likely to start at around £22,500 – £2,000 less than the equivalent 2.2.