THERE was a definite sense of deja vu when I got behind the wheel of one of BMW's new 3 Series Gran Turismos.

Was it the illusion of the seven shaped louvre on the front wing or the roomy ambience on the car that harked back to the big beautiful roomy 7 Series of the 1980s?

The car, although still a 3 Series is very imposing to look at - a much better styling treatment than the 5 Series GT - but the most amazing feature is the interior space. The rear seats have almost limousine style legroom and are very comfortable.

And the 318d Sport version that I drove could certainly give the old 7 Series a run for its money in the performance department. A 732i of around 1980 could unleash its six-cylinder petrol power to attain 129mph with a zero to 60mph sprint of 8.4 seconds.

The new 318d GT although only a diesel of much lower capacity sneaks past it at 130mph. Although a bit slower on the sprint at 9.7 seconds, this GT of 2013 leaves it wallowing in terms of mpg having a combined figure of 62.8mpg. The old 7 Series I remember was still in the 20s in terms of mpg.

A strange thing you might think, comparing a 3 Series with a mighty 7 but it is an indicator of how smaller models are creeping upmarket to answer the needs of those downsizing from much more powerful cars.

And this Gran Turismo steps in with a neat and imposing combination of the sportiness of a saloon with the practicality of a lifestyle estate.

On some competitors the larger hatchback shape does not work particularly well but BMW has, I feel, struck gold with this design. It turned heads from the moment I ventured on the road, which, in my books, augurs well for its future.

The seven-shaped louvres set behind the front wheels are far from cosmetic - they improve the airflow along the side of the car, which is just one of the very clever ideas incorporated in the design.

The boot is capacious, being 25 litres bigger than the range's estate models. There is also underfloor storage, lashing points and a 12-volt socket in the tailgate area, underlining the practicality element.

The tailgate is electrically powered and overall the car is an amazing package.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel produces 143bhp and the six-speed manual gearbox is smooth and rewarding.

And a CO2 figure of 119g/km sums up one of the most impressive BMWs I have driven in recent times.