SEAT Leon X-PERIENCE: Wagon that sets the pace

However, the very helpful press office sent me a replacement to 'fill the gap' another Leon ST wagon – but a very different car indeed under the bonnet!

It was the Leon ST Cupra – indeed a car that combines the space of a wagon (like the X-PERIENCE) but with simply superb pace. It's the fastest car SEAT has ever made. You can get hot estates that hold more behind but you simply won't get a more thrilling drive.

That's all down to the 280bhp in the 2.0 litre engine which can propel you from 0-62mph in just 6.1 seconds and can (on German autobahns where it's legal) reach 155mph.

OK economy may not be staggering - you can get just over 42 mpg in a combined cycle - and CO2 emissions may not please environmentalists at 157 g/km but what the heck when you can get a family load lugger that makes you positively beam when out on the road. You can't say that about many estates.

So just what do you get? For a start there's 587 litres of luggage space that expands to a massive (for this car anyway) 1,470 with the rear seats down.

The finish is smart, refined and classy with good quality finish and well laid out. There's Alcantara trim on the supportive sports seats, piano-style black gloss on the dashboard and contrasting leather strips to the doors. And it all feels very well built.

Impressive practicality with 587-litre boot, rising to 1,410 litres with seats folded using Easy Rear Seat-back Release Mechanism, plus chrome loading sill and double boot floor design

There's generous standard equipment including: air conditioning, remote central locking, SEAT Easy Connect five-inch touchscreen media system, including Bluetooth phone preparation and media streaming, SD card slot, AUX-in and USB ports and steering wheel controls. On the safety front the list includes multi-collision brake, lane assist and tiredness recognition.

And now we come to the all-important drive. Apart from the fact it is extremely quick, it is also very responsive. My commute into work on winding B roads was pure pleasure, something that's not always the case mainly due to the condition of the surfaces. But the chassis in the Cupra is excellent and absorbed most of the jarring usually caused by the numerous potholes along the way. It is also a a comfortable cruiser along the motorways.

On top of all that it is a handsome looking car attracting admiring looks and also approved by my much-loved dog who lets me know in no uncertain way if he doesn't like the ride by the indignant looks as he imperiously exits a vehicle.

I had the six-speed manual version which costs £29,205. Added to that was an upgraded navigation system for £680 and was worth every penny, while the £505 extra of the orange line finish which included orange alloy wheels, door mirrors, tailgate lettering, front grille surround were, to me, just a little bit tacky.

A leather pack which included leather bolsters and winter treats such as heated front seats and headlight washer system added a further £1,055.

Price £29,205

By Sharon Walters