There's something of a renaissance going on in the estate car market. For a spell during the Nineties, the station wagon was forgotten, but models such as the Saab 9-5 Estate are now regaining popularity. Get behind the wheel of Saab's latest load lugger and you'll soon realise why.

Received wisdom was once that if you had either a large family or a large load to move around, you bought a large estate car. No other viable choices existed. Come the Nineties, we saw people abandoning the estate in favour of monster 4x4s and increasingly massive MPVs. As most buyers expunged the novelty of driving round in a wallowing leviathan from their systems however, they've gradually reacquainted themselves with the appeal of the estate. This being so, it's easy to see the reasons for the continuing appeal of Saab's updated 9-5 Estate range.

We've slowly become accustomed to a Swedish manufacturer other than Volvo making estate cars and Saab has quietly notched up some impressive sales with the 9-5 estate, probably their first ever car that the adjective 'elegant' could be applied to. Solid results in the Euro NCAP safety ratings and a good showing in the JD Power surveys perpetuate Swedish stereotypes regarding safety and reliability. Under paymasters General Motors, Saab is at last regaining its zest for innovation, design and performance.

The 9-5 line-up has been much improved in recent times, notably with that new front end. The chrome headlight surrounds and clean finish to the grille and bumper sections give the 9-5 serious presence without resorting to the sorts of me-too contrivances that have afflicted certain rivals. The facelift goes a whole lot further than a mere window dressing, however, and Saab claim that every piece of panelling ahead of the windscreen pillars is new. The rear end has been tidied and modernised with a more streamlined-looking rear valance and bumper assembly. Estate prices start from £22,770.

"The Saab 9-5 Estate is a useful alternative for those who want something a little unterschied as they say in Germany.

Drop inside and you'll be able to tell it's a Saab even if you're wearing a blindfold. The cliff-like fascia, the odd combination of super-soft thermoplastics and harder materials more akin to a mainstream car and the key slot on the transmission tunnel mark the 9-5 down as a product that could only have come from Trollhattan. The rather unusual steering wheel design debuted in the 9-3, not the Flash Gordon movies as some may suspect, and is actually rather more pleasant to use than its looks would suggest. There are also a number of small detail changes to the instruments and cabin. Chrome-ringed dials, an uprated information system, better quality ventilation controls and the repositioning of some minor functions to help ergonomics are all welcome, but expect a cutting edge executive car interior and you're likely to be disappointed. Swedish functionality wins out over design flair in this instance.

Various trim levels are available: Linear, Linear Sport, Vector, Vector Sport and Aero. Aside from the most astonishing cup-holder in the automotive world, there are the typical Saab design cues including the centrally mounted ignition barrel and vertiginous fascia. It's neither slick nor pretty but it feels rock solid and incredibly well thought through. In terms of cabin space, you'll find a decent amount of elbow room and a decent 416-litre boot which grows to 890 litres with the rear seats folded.

Thanks to the sloping rear tailgate, included to avoid the rival Volvo V70's boxy look, that's not quite as much as its Swedish competitor. However, a range of clever design ideas more than compensate. Take the issue of strapping things down - a doddle in this case thanks to a couple of aircraft style aluminium cargo tracks concealed beneath plastic strips in the estate compartment. You simply clip a securing metal eye to one of these and, using spring-loaded straps, secure your load as necessary.

For a little extra, you can also enjoy the benefit of a couple of even neater ideas. First, there's a sliding panel in the boot floor which glides out half a metre beyond the back of the car, either to make loading and unloading easier or simply (since it takes up to 200kg) to act as an impromptu picnic seat. Those with animals will also want to specify the sturdy metal divider which fits into the boot area to keep your furry friend separate from your luggage.

The latest car sets out to improve ride quality and agility, although the 9-5 still isn't a car that you'd fling down a back lane just for the fun of it. Where it has improved significantly is in terms of high speed ride and refinement with many suspension components being subtly finessed to offer the sort of silky ride comfort that some manufacturers seem to view as a throwback but which is hugely relevant for most buyers.

With an ever-increasing share of the executive market being accounted for by diesel sales, Saab has now included the 150bhp version of the 1.9TiD engine from the 9-3 into the 9-5 line-up. Otherwise, Saab 9-5 customers won't be shocked by the reappearance of a set of powerful petrol engines that all boast some pretty impressive figures. The 150bhp 2.0-litre turbo four kicks the range off, whilst the 185bhp 2.3t model is also well worth a look and both of these units are available in BioPower form - able to run on a mix of unleaded and E85 bioethanol. The manic Aero model still develops 250bhp.

With prices starting from £22,770, the Saab 9-5 Estate is a useful alternative for those who want something a little unterschied as they say in Germany.

TOP 5 9-5 DEALS

The results below show the top 9-5 deals on buyacar

	Saab 9-5 1.9TiD Linear SE 5dr Auto Estate
	ETR	Mthly £391	Saving £6,676	Price £19,954
	Saab 9-5 1.9TiD Linear SE 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly £368	Saving £6,335	Price £18,955
	Saab 9-5 2.0t Linear SE 5dr BioPower Estate
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £6,369	Price £19,076
	Saab 9-5 1.9TiD Airflow 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly £372	Saving £4,086	Price £19,109
	Saab 9-5 1.9TiD Vector Sport 5dr Auto Estate
	ETR	Mthly £427	Saving £7,291	Price £21,679

typical 11.70% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000