THERE was a time when estate cars were big, box shaped vehicles whose design was based largely on achieving the largest capacity available with little thought of aesthetics.

Today nothing could be further from the truth as most estates are as stylish as their hatchback siblings.

In some instances the transformation has been so dramatic that the estate car actually looks more appealing than the hatchback and nowhere is that more true than in the case of the Honda Civic.

Good looking as the Civic hatch is there is little doubt that when it comes to sleek design it is outgunned by the new estate, or Tourer as Honda prefers to call it.

The tapering lines of the low roof, the gradually narrowing windows as you go from front to back - courtesy of the rising waistline - and the dramatic rear light configuration all add up to a triumph of design.

Built in the UK, at Swindon, the new Tourer is the most compact estate in its class and is 235mm longer than the Civic hatchback.

Crucially it can accommodate a hefty 624 litres of cargo up to the tonneau cover - compared to 477 litres in the hatch - and 1,668 litres with the seats folded down compared to 1,378 litres in the hatchback.

And a large well beneath the luggage floor is perfect if you need to carry any tall items that might slide around.

The aerodynamic appearance of the Tourer is not just about kerb appeal either. By reducing drag through unique design features, including the rear spoiler and side spoilers, the designers have created a car with very low CO2 emissions, so your road tax is rock bottom.

Step inside the Tourer and you will find the interior is just as classy. Supportive, good quality leather seating gives the interior an executive yet sporting feel and the cockpit wraps comfortably around you.

And just like the hatch the Tourer benefits from Honda's "Magic Seats", which in effect means the rear seat squabs fold up like cinema seats, allowing you to pack in large items of furniture or even a mountain bike across the width of the car.

The dashboard is identical to the hatchback with split level instruments. The large rev counter dominates the lower level dials but closer to the windscreen - so you hardly need to take your eyes off the road - is a digital readout speedometer.

On the road the Tourer is light to handle, nimble and highly manoeuvrable. and reversing is made easy thanks to a rear view camera and reversing sensors.

An adaptive damper system means you can set up the ride to suit the individual, with a choice of dynamic, normal or comfort on offer.

With Honda's relatively new 1.6-litre diesel engine under the bonnet the Tourer gives respectable acceleration, although I found noise levels on my test car harsher than in other models with the same engine.

Where this engine really scores, however, is on fuel consumption, or rather the lack of it.

The onboard computer gives a readout for each individual journey and I found myself becoming obsessed with checking the figures as on numerous occasions I recorded well over 70 miles per gallon.