SO, the number's up for the ever-popular Audi A4 Avant, a family estate car with a distinctly sporty slant.

But fear not - the A5 Avant has neatly stepped into its tyre tracks.

Slightly larger than the A4, as the designation suggests, the newer model continues to fill the gap between the compact A3 Sportsback and the luxury A6 Avant.

As with most of the Audi-VW models, there's a wide array of engine options including petrol, diesel and hybrid. On this occasion, we opted for the diesel variant, once the most often chosen by buyers.

The 2.0-litre turbo diesel with mild hybridisation kicks out 201bhp which is more than enough to complete swift overtakes and cruise effortlessly at the legal limit.

It's coupled to a 7-speed S-Tronic automatic gearbox complete with steering wheel paddles. The marriage nicely suits a family estate/business express with an emphasis on comfort and relaxation. Extra grip comes with the quattro four-wheel-drive.

Space front and rear is more generous than average, although it's not quite so commodious as the Skoda Superb estate stablemate.

Legroom in the rear is noticeably better than the old A4 Avant, though rear boor capacity of 476 litres falls slightly behind direct rivals such as the Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3-Series estates. The luggage platform is, however, flat and set low, making loading easy.

The cabin furnishings are plush with the usual huge touchscreen and loads of piano black trim (a dust attracter). Fortunately, there are sufficient controls that are independent of the touchscreen to allow distraction-free driving. The white leather upholstery of the test car probably isn't appropriate for family rough and tumble.

Owners who put greater priority on driving enjoyment rather than carrying capacity will prefer the estate-shaped Avant to high-riding SUV variants. The Avant sits well-planted on the road with little inclination to lean on curves and offers tenacious road-holding, thanks partly to the wide eight-inch wide low profile tyres together with all-wheel drive.

There's little road information being transmitted from the road via the steering to the driver, however. It is, however, nicely weighted and precise. While the lack of feel might irritate some, it inevitably adds to the relaxation and undemanding nature of the Avant.

Constant development of diesel power together with improvements to body strengthening and sound-proofing have resulted in hugely increased refinement.

Only when revved does the beat of the oil-burner become apparent. At cruising speeds there's little mechanical sound and even less road or wind noise.

Ride, while comfortable and reasonably absorbent, is firmer than you might expect from a prestigious family car. No doubt the low profile tyres on 19-inch alloys play their part here.

Diesel owners have long enjoyed mile-stretching economy with their power choice. This has recently tempered by increased cost of the fuel but, nevertheless, an ability to easily record 45mpg from a large saloon or estate is a rarity on the pure petrol front. Our average of 46mpg is well within the reach of most owners. Emissions are given as an efficient 137g/km.

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