There is a quiet kind of luxury that does not announce itself. It shows up in the way a door closes, the way a car glides away from the lights without a sound, and the way the fuel gauge barely moves after a week of Nairobi traffic. This Vezel has that kind of luxury, and it comes wrapped in deep midnight blue.

The new shape Vezel is a very different animal from the one you remember. The paint is a rich, dark blue that looks black in the shade and glows like ink with a hint of sapphire in the sun. Up front, a clean horizontal grille carries the Honda badge in blue, slim LED headlights sweep back with a glowing amber signature, and LED fog lights sit in the lower bumper under a silver skid plate. Silver trim runs along the side sills, and the multi spoke alloys in gloss black and polished metal fill the arches with real presence. Around the back, a full width light bar stretches across the tailgate with the Honda badge at its centre, the VEZEL name sits on the left and the e:HEV hybrid badge on the right, and parking sensors in the bumper keep everything neat. It is a sleek, coupe like SUV that looks far more expensive than it is.

Now open the door, because the cabin is where this one earns its place. The seats are finished in cream leather with dark fabric inserts and fine red stitching, and the same cream wraps the dashboard, giving the interior a bright, tailored look that you rarely see at this price. The steering wheel is trimmed in black leather with bold red stitching and a gloss black base, with audio, cruise and driver assist controls at your thumbs. Behind it, a crisp digital driver display shows your speed, hybrid status and trip information clearly. A large touchscreen sits above chunky, satisfying climate dials, and the heated seat buttons and USB ports are exactly where you reach for them. Look up and the sunroof opens the cabin to the sky. In the back, the bench is wide and comfortable in the same cream and dark combination, with rear air vents and plenty of legroom, so passengers are never an afterthought.

The heart of it all is the 1.5 litre hybrid system, which Honda calls e:HEV. A petrol engine and two electric motors work together so smoothly that you will rarely notice the switch. Pull away and the car glides on electric power in near silence, ask for more and the engine joins in without drama, and when you lift off, the battery quietly recharges. Fuel stops become rare, traffic jams stop hurting your wallet, and the drive feels calm, quick and wonderfully refined. It is the sensible choice that never feels like a compromise.

The odometer reads 108,151 kms, which for a Honda hybrid is simply a car in its prime. These systems are famous for covering far greater distances with faithful service, and the leather, the cabin and the paint all show a car that has been looked after.

This is the car for the young professional who wants an SUV with style and a low fuel bill. The family that needs space and comfort without the running costs of a bigger vehicle. The ride hailing or business driver who knows fuel savings are the real profit. And the careful buyer who has seen the new shape Vezel on the road and has quietly been hoping to find one.

New shape Vezels in this colour and specification do not sit around, and the sensible buyers are always the ones who came early. Book a viewing, sit in that cream leather, open the sunroof and take it for a drive. Fair warning, by the time you reach the first traffic light, you will have forgotten what it felt like to worry about fuel.