AS a nasty minded sub-editor on a local newspaper I took pride in knowing just when the razor sharp teeth of innocence or a colloquialism were likely to sink embarrassingly into an unguarded rump.

A collection of examples which I have to hand, including the delight that is: "Mrs Jones gave a talk on her husband's fake crown jewels which the members had to wear gloves to handle."

Or another favourite from amateur hour "Scouts appeal to girls". You mean like all the nice ones like a sailor?

However, manspreading caught me completely wrong footed.

This is the practice of riding on public transport with your legs spread wide to gain more personal space. Or due to wind, I cannot be sure.

The problem is especially a feature of the New York subway wheresigns have been posted reading; Dude Stop the Spread, Please. A delightful example of garbled grammar and innocent usage: "Stop the spread, it has my bread roll around it."

In New York people have been hauled before Judge Judyfor the disgusting ‘crime' of manspreading and one woman claimed that a male passenger was guilty of groping her with his knees. That must be like the 50s pass the balloon parlour game which did for the baby boom.

My grandmother would havenever been out of court if this had been an offence on the last train home from Yates' as shesat in the manner of Les Dawson

Bringing us to the Hyundai i40 Tourer, an estate car with so much interior roomyou would need to sit with a knock-kneed giraffe to have your personal space invaded.

There is much to be recorded about the i40 as a family car but in its estate version it doubles as a freight train. The load area is huge even with the seats unfolded. With them down it could star in a remake of Hobo's Lullaby.

Not that the i40 is rough around the edges. For £25,000 you can move into the 1.7 CRDi SE Nav, not the top of the range model but well enough finished and equipped to beat off much of the opposition.

No model illustrates more clearly the rise in popularity enjoyed by Hyundai than the i40 and its latest nips and tucks are designed to keep it up there with the perceived mainstream models.

Visual changes in the latest version are minimal but tweaks to the suspension have produced sharper handling and a more comfortable long-range ride. Yes the tourer can be thrown about with no sense of a security crisis but you wouldn't want to. You would, however, load up the family and head off into the wide blue yonder, enjoying refinement with a lot of standard equipment.

The cabin has not had the same attention to detailed change but is well put together and the imposing centre console take climate control and audio buttons with ease while the touchscreen sat-nave is logical with clear graphics.

All versions get seven air bags, stability control and waring lights that flash during heavy braking. Lane departure alert and road sign recognition are available on premium models.

The 139bhp diesel engine's performance is not particularly exciting and speed is not the issue here at over 10.5 seconds to 60mph. However although I would never manage the promised 67mpg if you could then here is an economical way to lug around both the family and whatever else in the luggage department you lean towards.

So, a lot of estate car for the money, refinement and economy. Oh, and plenty of room to spread out without ending up on some sort of out of control legs register.