KIA'S Optima Sportswagon is one of the best looking estate cars on the market.

The Korean company surprisingly did not have a large family estate until this one arrived on the market last autumn to fill a glaring gap in the manufacturer's range.

Across Europe and in the UK, most large family cars being sold are estates so it was important that Kia came up with the goods and the Optima Sportswagon is certainly good enough to worry its main opposition, the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall's Insignia.

Available in three trim levels - 2, 3 and flagship GT Line S - the Optima Sportswagon has sharp looks and is keenly priced with generous equipment levels.

This car came in level 3 trim which has enough goodies to satisfy fleet, business and private buyers.

Outside you get 18-inch alloys, Kia's distinctive grille, cornering lights, LED lights and fog lights and parking sensors front and rear.

Inside there is even more to enjoy with an eight-inch colour touchscreen, DAB radio, Bluetooth with music streaming, a powered driver's seat, heated front seats, sat nav with European mapping, reversing camera and a quality sound system with eight speakers.

Controls and instruments are all smartly laid out and easy to read and use. Soft touch materials are used on all the important surfaces but they are all black and it can make the cabin feel a little dark.

There are plenty of power points and storage areas and bags of room for five adults to travel in real comfort.

It is a really practical estate car with a substantial 552 litre boot which includes two underfloor storage compartments and this can be increased to a massive 1,686 litres by dropping the 40:20:40 rear seats.

Like its sibling Optima saloon the Sportwagon is powered by Kia's reliable 1.7-litre turbodiesel plant.

It is not as smooth as engines featured in some of its competitors and is a bit noisy when first started but it soon settles down and provides enough punch for most situations.

It cruises comfortably and quietly at motorway speeds and is an ideal companion for long distances. The six-speed manual gearbox is a good match and gets the most out of the engine.

Top speed is 124mph and the sprint to 60mph can be achieved in 9.8 seconds. The claimed combined figure is 64.2mpg but in the real world you can expect figures in the high 50s.

It is surprisingly agile for such a big car and the steering is sharp with good feedback.

The Sportswagon boasts all the latest safety tech, including hill-start assist, blind spot detection, lane assist system, cross traffic detection and tyre pressure monitoring.