The bold new face of the Vauxhall Insignia shows the company's confidence in a range of new products, of which the big Ford Mondeo-rivaling flagship is the first. And now the line-up is complete with this, the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer.

It’s arguably the best looking model in the Insignia range, with real hints of Audi at the rear. That's because the entire light clusters are mounted on the boot, in a similar fashion to the Audi Q7 SUV, and the rounded rear is reminiscent of the previous Audi A4 and A6 Avant.

But the lights lifting with the bootlid falls foul of the law - even when the boot is open, certain lights need to be visible; and Vauxhall's engineered a secondary set of lights behind the bootlid. It looks slightly odd, but is an inspired piece of thinking.

And that kind of thinking is evident throughout the car. The car might be rakish in its side profile, but that's not at the expense of its load-carrying credentials. It offers 540 litres of room - ten more than the boxy and more practical looking Vauxhall Vectra estate - but just ten less with the seats folded flat. There's a false floor, meaning rarely-used bits can be stored out of the way, and tailgate can be opened electrically on some models.

Unlike some powered tailgates, the Insignia Sports Tourer's can be opened halfway or totally, depending on the space available. There's a low sill, and the floor is flat which means loading items should be easy.

Incredibly for such a practical car, the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer is actually the most aerodynamic estate car the company has ever built.

A new engine has also been introduced for the Sports Tourer; a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine. It might not sound much to haul such a big car at speed, but its 180PS rivals the power of much larger engines. It is part of Vauxhall's downsizing strategy, and slots above the underpowered 140PS 1.8-litre petrol engine. Forget the fact it’s the smallest engine available; it’s actually one of the most interesting in the range, with an eagerness to rev and a decent turn of speed. Sixty two is reached in 8.7 seconds; only around 1.5 seconds more than the 260PS 2.8-litre V6 turbo.

Another 'new' engine in the line-up is a revised 2-litre petrol, which now produces 220PS to clearly place it above the 1.6.

Vauxhall says diesels will make up 70 per cent of sales, and its 160PS unit will make up 70 per cent of diesel sales. Both the 160PS and 130PS engines return 47.9mpg and emit 159g/km of CO2; but specify an automatic gearbox and consumption and emissions increase.

We tried the 160PS engine - which attracts a £250 price premium - and found it performed well, although lacked the lump of torque many diesel buyers like to 'surf'. It’s not the most refined engine on the market either.

Through the bends, the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer has light steering, which lacks the level of feedback of the best in class; although beneath the steering appears to be an eager chassis which enables the car to corner flatly; more so with the stiffened sports suspension which is available as a no-cost option alongside 18-inch wheels on the SRi trim. Smaller 17-inch wheels are also available on the SRi - a trim tipped to be the biggest seller.

The Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer is certainly one of the most attractive models in its class; and with its clever packaging means look don’t impede practicality. And that brings the very best of both worlds.