IF my increasingly hazy memory isn't too wide of the mark Audi was one of the first companies that started making what might be termed 'lifestyle estates'.
These days they tend to go under the moniker of Sportwagon or in Audi's case Avant.
The A4 Avant has always has been an excellent car, blazing the compact premium estates trail.
For anyone who reckoned the previous A4 thought too much of itself and was not enough of a load-lugger the latest version will more than satisfy.
It looks more like a big brother to the car it replaces rather than its successor.
Not quite as big as an old A6 but not far off. Rear seat passengers get more room and there's plenty more carrying capacity too.
One of the big problems with the A4 Avant of yore was that while it looked good it was lacking just a tad in practicality.
But in its latest incarnation it boasts class-leading carrying capacity according to Audi - 490 litres with the rear seats in place or 1,430 with them folded.
The big new look is strikingly different to the model it replaces (daringly so for a marque like Audi that favours evolution over revolution) but the good news is that the Avant has lost none of its presence.
The increase in size comes courtesy of a considerably lengthened wheelbase, again class-leading as Audi are keen to point out.
The inside is every bit the exemplary Audi that is almost de rigeur these days; fit and finish of the highest quality and almost everything positioned exactly where one imagines it should be.
This car, the 2.0-litre diesel, comes with a choice of three different power outputs. It starts with a 120PS model that certainly delivers the goods, though with a full load the slightly more powerful 143PS model is preferable.
The biggest of the trio is a 170PS offering that is both potent and spirited.
It rides and drives well and above all is comfortable to travel in, with impressive handling for a front wheel drive vehicle.
An option worth considering is a Bang and Olufsen sound system, which at £500 seems like good value.
Back in 1998 when I bought a brand new Fiat Brava I remember an optional standard CD player would have cost £400.
I guess that's what they call progress.
FAST FACTS
Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TDI (170) S line
Price: £27,900
Mechanical: 170ps, 1,968cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 8spd automatic gearbox
Max speed: 140mph
0-62mph: 8.6secs
Combined mpg: 50.4
Insurance group: 14
CO2 emissions: 149g/km
BiK rating: 19%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000miles, 3yrs paint, 12yrs anti-rust