HONDA is aiming for pole position with its new estate by turning it into a racing car.

In the hands of top drivers Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal the new Civic Tourer will be competing in this year's British Touring Car Championship.

It is the first time an estate has been entered into the race series for more than 20 years and shows Honda's confidence in its new British-built load lugger.

The race car made its track debut during a shakedown at the Rockingham Motor Speedway in Northamptonshire just as the road going version is being released.

But while the race car is powered by a 350bhp engine developed from that in the Civic Type R hot hatch the regular models are little more family friendly.

The new Civic Tourer is available either with a 1.8-litre petrol engine or Honda's 1.6-litre Earth Dreams diesel which can manage a claimed 74mpg.

Prices start from £20,765 for the petrol and £21,875 for the diesel and it is the latter which impresses most - especially in higher trim models.

Honda is offering the Civic Tourer in four grades and the top two - SR and EX-Plus - are fitted with adaptive rear suspension.

For an estate car - and the Civic has the greatest luggage capacity or all mid-range estates - that is an obvious bonus, as is a very convenient low lip on the boot.

It is well thought out, sleek and purposeful and the Civic Tourer will cut a dash in the growing market for mid-sized estates.

The Tourer is also a true family vehicle and can site five in comfort.

Compared to the Civic hatch on which it is based the estate is almost 10 inches longer with the extra coming at the rear creating a 624 litre luggage area.

With Honda's so-called Magic Seating system, which allows the rear seats to be folded quickly to create more room, there is a maximum of 1,688 litres available.

Additional underfloor storage can accommodate two flight bags and all in all it can seat five and take four full-sized suitcases with ease.

On the road it handles well and the pull from the 1.6 118bhp diesel is impressive. The ride, which has three modes and can be switched into stiffer sports or softer comfort settings, is smooth and competent and the car feels well balanced under all conditions.

The diesel has much more about it than the petrol version and although it is more expensive the better economy gives it the edge.

We managed 61 to the gallon from the diesel and 38 from the petrol and although that was closer to the official 44.1mpg Honda claims for the 1.8 engine, the savings per mile are significant.

Both cars we sampled were six speed manuals with emissions of 103g/km for the diesel and 149 for the petrol. In lower trim levels, which have 16-inch and opposed to 17-inch alloys, emissions fall into the tax free zone at 99g/km.

An auto box is available on the 1.8 only and priced from £22,200 but is not quite as economical with an official consumption figure in the low 40s and emissions of up to 155g/km.

Sat nav, voice control and leather seats are all standard features on the higher grades and with Bluetooth, cruise control and air con available on all versions, the SR diesel at £26,060 is very competitive.

Factor in the Civic's sleek looks - and possibly only the Vauxhall Astra estate and the recently launched SEAT Leon ST come close in the style stakes - and it is little surprise that Honda has elected to give its aerodynamic new Civic a shot at race success.

This year's BTCC kicks off at the end of March at Brands Hatch in Kent and the 10 round championship ends in October.

Only time will tell how it performs on the track but in the real world the Civic Tourer has the potential to win plenty of fans as a very practical and stylish all-rounder.