IS it a coupe or an estate car? However you want to describe it, the latest member of Hyundai's smart i30 family certainly looks the part.

Hyundai's European chief reckons it has an "almost coupé-like silhouette" thanks to its tapering roofline, but, this is, in fact, the latest incarnation of the i30 Tourer and it boasts what the Korean company claims is one of the biggest load spaces in its segment.

Designed, developed, tested and manufactured in Europe, the new load-lugger will swallow 602 litres of gear with the rear seats in place and an impressive 1,650 litres with the back seats folded. Under floor compartments add to the new model's versatility.

It shares much of its styling and safety technology with the rest of the i30 family including Hyundai's new signature front end with what the company calls a "cascading" radiator grille which combines with full-LED headlamps and vertical LED daytime running lights to provide a strong visual presence.

The company claims that the i30 offers best-in-class standard active safety with Autonomous Emergency Braking, Driver Attention Alert, High Beam Assist and Lane Keeping Assist System fitted as standard across the range.

There's also an optional pedestrian recognition system which uses a front radar and avoids or mitigates the consequence of an impact with a pedestrian. Other available safety features include Smart Cruise Control which keeps a constant speed and distance from the vehicle ahead by automatically accelerating and braking up to 180 km/h, Blind Spot Detector and a Rear-Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) system which reduces the risk of collision with approaching traffic when reversing out of narrow areas with low visibility by alerting the driver visually and acoustically.

The cockpit boasts an eight-inch touch screen with state-of-the-art connectivity features and there's a wireless charging system for smartphones.

Customers will be able to choose from one litre and 1.4 litre turbocharged petrol engines or a 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine when the newcomer goes on sale following its world premier at next month's Geneva Motor Show.