Forget the downturn... Vauxhall is enjoying quite a boom at the moment.

Insignia is lapping up sales and dominating the executive car market like no Vauxhall before. And Astra is on top of the UK sales charts, leaving Ford and others in its wake.

So, it’s a good time to launch the new Astra estate. British-designed and built in Ellesmere Port, this is a very important model which goes on sale tomorrow.

But Vauxhall has been careful not to call it an estate. That name conjures dull images of unsophisticated cars, so Vauxhall prefers Sports Tourer.

It must rank as the most-improved new model in recent years. Compared to the boxy old Astra estate, the new Sports Tourer is worlds apart in terms of sophistication, style, features and economy, yet the range begins at £16,575. That’s £500 cheaper than the outgoing version.

To emphasise the improvement, Vauxhall invited me to Ellesmere Port to see where the car is built. I tried the outgoing version (neat, unfussy but very much a traditional estate) before swapping for a new Sports Tourer (lithe, coupe-like and much better to drive).

Astra is a big-seller, with 40,000 built since last December, and the new Sports Tourer is expected to account for 12 per cent of future sales. It’s also expected to be especially popular with private buyers, not just company car drivers.

The hatchback version is already a popular site on our roads, and you might expect an estate to be less attractive. Vauxhall claims (and I agree) that, if anything, the Sports Tourer is a prettier model.

But forget the long lines and coupe frills, it’s the seating system which really sets this car apart. I’m not joking! Estate buyers (or Sports Tourer buyers, come to that) are practical people and they will love the way the rear seats flick down at the touch of a button in the load bay. There’s no clumsy seat switches here; just hit the button and seats fold flat.

And while the car is sleeker and sexier to look at, it’s still a good load-carrier. It can hold up to 500 litres of luggage with the rear seats up, slightly bigger than the outgoing model. With the rear seats down, it holds up to 1,550 litres up to roof level.

The cabin is a delight, taking its cues from Insignia. It looks and feels very much more upmarket than Astras of the past.

The Astra Sports Tourer comes with a choice of seven engines spanning 1.3 to 2.0 litres, including a Start/Stop version which cuts out to save fuel when at idle.

Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer 1.7 CDTi Exclusiv:- PRICE: £19,375 on the road. Range spans £16,575 to £24,300.

ENGINE: 1,686cc turbo-diesel generating 125PS.

PERFORMANCE: Top speed 120mph, 0-60mph in 11 seconds.

COSTS: Urban (town) 50.4mpg; extra-urban (country) 70.6mpg; combined 61.4mpg.

INSURANCE: Group 13E (one to 50).

EMISSIONS: 121g/km.

WARRANTY: Three years, 60,000 miles.

Steve’s ratings: Performance: 5/5 Ride/Handling: 4/5 Space/Practicality: 4/5 Equipment: 4/5 Security/Safety: 4/5 OVERALL: 4/5