SAAB'S practical new 9-5 SportWagon hit the streets with more efficient petrol and diesels engines plus prices from £28,195.

The car maker has both improved and extended its 9-5 range for the 2012 model year, boasting lower emissions for all powerplants.

But it's the autumn arrival of the SportWagon - first revealed at the Geneva show in March - that fans of the marque will savour as the estate has previously enjoyed higher sales than the saloon models.

Designed in parallel with its saloon stablemate, the low slung SportWagon shares the same front styling and adds a wraparound rear window graphic under the sweeping roof line, extended by a deep rear spoiler.

Saab has paid special attention to the load area. With the 60/40 split rear seatbacks lowered, the cargo deck is more than six feet long and offers a capacity of up to 1,600 litres, or 527 litres with the rear seats up.

The side walls are completely flat and upright, creating an open space without any hard-to-use corners or rear wheel arch intrusions, and compartments in the side walls and under the floor offer stowage for small items.

Aluminium roof rails, a U-rail cargo management system, retractable cargo cover and a 12-volt power outlet all come as standard, while an electric tailgate is also available.

Both the 9-5 Saloon and the SportWagon get more efficient engines - CO emissions are reduced on average by 4.7 per cent - and there's also Start/Stop and a gearshift indicator.

The all-turbo powertrain line-up, with a choice of two diesel and three petrol engines, provides a power band from 160 to 300bhp.

With projected CO emissions of 125g/km (Saloon) and 128g/km (SportWagon), the 160bhp, 2.0-litre TiD engine with manual transmission qualifies for zero excise duty and 18 per cent benefit-in-kind company car taxation.

Inside, the 9-5 cabin has been given a new look with the addition of metallic-like trim finishes for both Vector SE and Aero variants. Satellite navigation and digital radio (DAB) also become standard on all models.

Options include a rear view camera, adaptive cruise control and a head-up display.

And Saab's chassis engineers have also made the latest range more fun to drive, particularly on rough surfaces, thanks to extensive testing on UK roads.

SportWagon prices, which command a £1,200 premium over the Saloon, are from £28,195 for the 160bhp 2.0 TiD Vector SE diesel manual model to £39,195 for the 300bhp 2.8 T XWD petrol automatic.