Although it may take time for the more obdurate amongst you to accept, Vauxhall are rapidly developing a reputation as one of the more innovative brands around. Take the latest Vauxhall Vectra estate as an example. This was a model developed properly. Rather than simply grafting a greenhouse onto the back of the existing Vectra hatch, Vauxhall instead took an entirely more thoughtful approach. By basing this car upon the long wheelbase Signum floorpan, the designers endowed the Vectra Estate with the sort of carrying capacity required to offer a realistic challenge to the ubiquitous people carrier. Now, recently facelifted, it's more competitive than ever.

Before we go any further, you might be tempted to point out that the underpinnings of this car ought to have seen Vauxhall to badge it 'Signum' rather than 'Vectra'. But that would have undermined a clever marketing decision by the brains at General Motors. Recognising that the mainstream estate market had gone a little flat in the face of soaring MPV sales, they realised that in order to succeed, the Vectra Estate needed to offer the sort of space and clever versatility that made the Meriva and Zafira models such big hits.

One thing a good estate will always have in its favour over an MPV is a sleek shape. Granted, some estate versions can look horribly ill-conceived (Citroen BX, early Renault Laguna anyone?) but others, such as the Honda Accord Tourer, the Audi A6 Avant and the Alfa Sportwagon, arguably look even better than the saloons that spawned them. The Vectra Estate falls into the latter category, its long-wheelbase, torpedo-like shape looking especially striking in profile. The VXR performance version with its mean spoilers, big alloy wheels and mildly flared wheelarches is a severely handsome beast. Prices start at £16,000, a premium of around £1,000 over the saloon and 5-door hatch models.

Today's version looks even better thanks to a thorough facelift. In fact, we were told that the car's styling was completely new from the A-pillars forward but on viewing it, there was the sneaking suspicion that the front end had been sighted somewhere before. It had: the Vectra appears to have been driven into the back of an Astra family hatchback at extremely high speed. The resulting concertina-effect sees the bonnet, lights and grille of the smaller car now protruding from the front of its larger sibling. This is no bad thing of course: the Astra has been hailed for its bold, sharky looks since launch and today's Vectra inherits them. The large headlights jut upwards into the bonnet and the grille, married effectively to the under bumper assembly, provides real presence on the road. At the back, the bumper has been reworked and the range of wheel designs has also been given a good going-over.

"The Vectra Estate doesn't just look the part; it also fulfils serious load lugging duties"

With virtually the same load space as the old Omega Estate as well as significantly more legroom, the Vectra Estate doesn't just look the part; it also fulfils serious load-lugging duties. A 60/40 split in the rear seat and a front passenger seat that folds flat gives it some genuine versatility and a theoretical maximum carrying capacity of a whopping 1,850 litres. The Vectra also overcomes the dilemma posed to most estate owners of securing loads in the vast rear bay. Usually this involves a half-hearted array of nets and lashing eyes that never seem to be able to prevent items flying all over the place whilst negotiating a mini roundabout. Vauxhall think there's a better way. FlexOrganiser uses two rails built into the rear side panels to securely mount a flexible system of foldable dividers and nets. Back it up with some bubble wrap and you can safely fling a Vectra Estate down the most arduous B-road with breakables in the back.

The electronically operated tailgate can be opened and closed at the touch of a button either on the key fob or on the dashboard and can also be stopped at any point through its arc and locked into position - handy if you've got a garage with a low roof. Tempting as it may be, this facility should never be used to 'chin' pushy squeegee jockeys who accost you at traffic lights.

Options include a neat foldaway trailer hitch and TravelAssistant, a storage system first seen in the Signum. The towing hitch sits out of sight under the rear bumper. Throw a lever in the boot and the hitch will unlock, whereupon a firm shove with your foot will swing it into a locked position. Simple and effective. The TravelAssistant system sits in the centre of the rear bench seat and features twin folding tables, a cooler, cupholders, two 12v power outputs and a docking station for a portable DVD player. The twin audio system allows passengers in the rear to listen to separate radio programmes or CDs to those in front. If you've got easily distracted kids, TravelAssistant can be a boon.

Various engines are available, the 155bhp 2.2-litre direct injection unit has become the mainstay of Vauxhall's medium range petrol line up but there's also the option of an advanced 140bhp 1.8-litre unit. Next up is the punchier but more conventional 175bhp 2.0-litre turbo powerplant while the big daddy in the petrol department is the 227bhp 2.8-litre turbocharged V6 engine - a unit that's also offered with 276bhp in the VXR. Diesel buyers can opt for a whole heap of engine in the shape of the 177bhp 3.0-litre CDTi common-rail V6 but the lesser oil-burners may be preferable to those with an eye on the economics. The more compact CDTi options are both 1.9-litre in capacity but one develops 120bhp while the other pumps out 150bhp. The latter can put many sports saloons in their place with a 0-60mph time of 8.8s.

The Vectra's cabin has long been a haven of tranquillity. Ever since the launch of the original version of the current car, it has provided a suitably relaxing environment for marathon motorway trips and this facelifted model has upped the anti. 'Soft touch' is revealed as the key phrase as you run a finger over the surfaces, press the buttons and flick the switches in the tried and tested manner. The old cabin was a little too grey for many tastes but upgraded seat fabrics and trim inserts, a smaller, more sports-orientated steering wheel and a jazzed-up instrument panel all help to make the current model a more interesting place to be.

The range of trim, body and engine options is massively diverse but Vauxhall have always gone large in this area. There are saloon, five-door hatchback and estate bodystyles, along with trim levels that draw increasingly heavily from the options list as they ascend from Exclusiv through Life, Club, Design and sporty SRi to the ultimate Elite (luxurious) and VXR (quick) models. Even the Exclusiv option that props the others up gives you air-conditioning, six airbags and a driver's seat with eight adjustments that furthers the Vectra's reputation for comfort. Skipping up the range a little, the Design option yields climate control, rain-sending wipers and auto headlamps - which presumably are dark sensing. It also gives estate buyers an electrically opening tailgate.

How Vauxhall dealers must wish they were tooled up with those glowing zap sticks seen in 'Men In Black' movies that erase the memory of those harbouring grudges against the old car. If it's able to escape from the shackles of its historical baggage, there's no reason why the Vectra Estate shouldn't be right up there with the class best. A spacious body, sleek lines, an elegant interior and a range of gutsy engines all combine to offer a powerful argument in its favour. Don't go giving medium range estates the last rites just yet.

TOP 5 VECTRA DEALS

The results below show the top VECTRA deals on buyacar

	Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 CDTi SRi [150] 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly £297	Saving £5,468	Price £15,772
	Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 CDTi Design [120] 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly £308	Saving £5,527	Price £15,913
	Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 CDTi Elite [150] 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly £341	Saving £6,366	Price £17,939
	Vauxhall Vectra 2.0 T SRi 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly £282	Saving £5,065	Price £14,865
	Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 CDTi Exclusiv [120] 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly £247	Saving £4,486	Price £13,404

typical 10.62% APR

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