IT'S hard to take this in, but somewhere around the world, a new Chevrolet rolls off a production line just about every six seconds.

Put it another way, that's nearly five million cars a year. Impressive figures indeed.

The company's most successful model to date, the Cruze was launched in 2009 and up to the end of March, more than 1.3 million have been sold worldwide.

Now the arrival of the new Station Wagon estate version will broaden the Cruze's massive appeal even further.

And there's a lot of great things about the car that will help keep a lot of old friends happy while adding a whole lot of new customers in both the private and fleet marketplaces.

Chunky looking from the front with its split grille set-off with the familiar golden bowtie logo positioned in the centre, it gives the impression it's well up for the job of coping with the most demanding of transport needs for the more active of families.

Viewed from the side, the car's gently-rising concave shoulder line is offset by the rear-sloping roof which comes fitted with a pair of slim rails for those who need to transport bulkier goods which even the near 1,500-litre carrying capacity of the Cruze SW can't cope with.

But not only does it look good from the outside, it's much the same story inside the vehicle, as Chevy continue to make great strides as they push to increase even further their growing UK market share.

There is a nice soft-touch feel about the cabin and neat touches such as the multi-function, leather trimmed steering wheel, blue back-lit instrument dials and easily-accessed centre console switches making the Cruze SW a pretty nice place to spend time in.

Four models are available in three specification levels. Kicking off the range is a 122bhp, 1.6-litre petrol offering in both standard LS or mid-range LT trim.

It comes priced at £15,375 and £16,475 respectively and both are extremely well-equipped, with even the LS featuring air conditioning, follow-me-home headlamps, electric/heated door mirrors, front electric windows, cargo hooks, remote central door locking and electronic boot release as standard.

Electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, six airbags and traction control are also among the standard safety features found throughout the range.

A larger, 137bhp 1.8-litre petrol variant is also available in LT trim and with its standard automatic gearbox is priced at £18,075.

However, the model expected to command around 80 per cent of all Cruze SW sales will be the 1.7-litre VCDI turbocharged diesel. It delivers a punchy 128bhp matched by an impressive 221lb/ft of torque from between 2,000 and 2,500 revs.

Featuring extremely green credentials, thanks in part to its stop/start technology, it returns up to 62.7mpg on the combined cycle, while its low emissions figure of 119g/km of CO2 and BIK figure of 17 per cent, makes it an attractive proposition for business users.

Available in LT specification at £18,925, it also comes in range-topping LTZ trim which, for a premium of only £860, adds among other goodies electronic climate control, 17-inch alloys, satellite navigation system, Bluetooth and rear-view reversing camera.

Topping off the range is a two-litre oilburner in LTZ trim, but it comes only with a six-speed automatic gearbox. Pumping out 160bhp and delivering 265lb/ft of torque, it offers plenty of grunt for those looking to carrying heavier loads.

Priced at £20,585 it is capable of returning more than 45mpg on the combined cycle and has a top speed of 123mph.

Out on the road the Cruze SW follows very much in the footsteps of its hatchback sibling. Safe, dependable yet even more practical.

I drove a mix of models on motorway, country and city roads on a 150-mile round trip which give the range ample chance to show their true capabilities.

And they all stood up to the test extremely well. However, for me the 1.7-litre diesel's powerful engine mated to a silky-smooth gearbox is the perfectly-matched combination for both rural and urban work alike.

Inexpensive to purchase, maintain and run, the SW will soon become a welcome addition to the Cruze range and with more than 12 per cent of all family vehicles now estate cars, it will also open up a massive new market opportunity for the expanding Chevrolet brand.