STYLISH, trendy and packing a punch when it comes to luggage space. That's Hyundai's new i30 estate car, or Tourer as it's officially known.

Estate cars have become cool in recent years since designers sharpened up their ideas and realised that drivers who needed plenty of luggage space were not prepared to miss out on style, and wanted their cars to look just as good as any hatchback or saloon.

Certainly with the i30 Tourer the swept back front, tapering headlights and rising waistline with narrowing windows as you go from the front to rear of the car all add to its good looks. It's all part of what Hyundai calls its Fluidic Sculpture design language.

And it's a car which does exactly what it says on the tin. A five-seater estate with plenty of passenger space, plenty of luggage space and - in the case of the 1.6 CRDi powered version - sensible pulling power and good economy.

It's not the fastest estate on the road but neither is it lacking when you need to put your right foot down hard to get out of trouble.

I liked the firm, stable ride and the positive steering as well as the i35's comfort on long journeys. And the slick six-speed gearbox is a delight to use.

It's well laid out inside with the two main dials set into two deep housings which are angled towards the driver while a large touch screen sits high on the centre column for the satellite navigation system and other on-board operations such as the sound system. Black dominates the dashboard but is contrasted with brushed metal to lighten up the whole interior.

The i30 is Hyundai's best selling model in Europe and the Tourer is 185mm longer than its hatchback sibling. It offers 528 litres of luggage space with the seats up - 150 litres more than the hatchback. With the seats folded fully flat that figure rises to 1,642 litres, 326 litres more than the hatch.

Useful compartments beneath the boot floor allow you to pack away small items that you want to keep in the car without infringing on the main load area. And there are oodles of other storage areas including an air conditioned glove box, large door bins with bottle holders and a deep box below the central armrest.

Tourers are available with a choice of diesel or petrol engines, both of which are 1.6-litres. Opt for diesel and you have the choice of either the 110bhp or the 128bhp model that I drove, while all petrol models are 120bhp.

Hyundais are now very much mainstream cars and the build quality is excellent. The doors close with the very lightest of touches and of course the car comes with a five year, unlimited warranty, proving just how much the Korean manufacturer believes in its product.