THE design team at Peugeot was given an unenviable task when plans were drawn up for the 206 SW.
The French manufacturer was thrilled with its 206 hatchback becoming the best-selling retail car in Britain, and equally with the response to its sexy coupe cabriolet. Now the brief was to produce not only a master of all trades but one boasting the strengths of the other two.
The result was the SW, a model that, perhaps with the exception of the Skoda Fabia Estate, has no genuine rivals.
Being realistic, the SW doesn't look an especially sporty piece of metal. It's attractive enough, but lacks the elegant lines that really turn heads. That said, it's a ground-breaker. And if it can't quite compete with its CC and hatch siblings on the catwalk, it certainly can on the tarmac.
If you happen to be someone who really enjoys driving a car yet needs extra practicality, then the SW delivers the goods.
Peugeot has been careful not to sacrifice either ride comfort or handling enjoyment - a feature of the 206 hatch - and the suspension has been altered accordingly. There aren't many estates you can throw around like the SW.
Nor is the SW merely a hatchback with an extra box clipped to the back. It is every inch a stand-alone model right down to the light clusters that fold around the back of the car and the switching of the rear door handles into the pillar at window level.
Otherwise the key difference between hatch and estate is the extra length - almost 20cms - the SW carries behind its rear wheels to provide a genuinely decent load area. It also has a rear window in the tailgate which can be opened independently - something unique to a vehicle in this class.
The load floor is wide and unobstructed and has a retractable blind, cargo net and load restraint straps fitted as standard.
SWs come with a choice of three petrol - 1.1, 1.4 and 1.6 litre - engines plus the same number of HDi turbodiesels. The 1.4 litre test model offers ample power, performs with spirit on the motorway and boasts cracking economy of close to 44mpg.
My only real criticism of the SW was its dour interior and, particularly, a facia made of a brittle, black plastic.
But it's not only a leisure vehicle with the scope to cope with a family's everyday needs, but one that completes it in some style and a lot of fun.
Standard kit across a range that starts at £8,995 for the 1.1 XL model includes dual airbags, remote central locking, sport front seats, 60/40 split rear seats, immobiliser, three rear 3-point seatbelts and sound system.
FAST FACTS
Peugeot 206 SW XT 1.4
Price: £10,395
Mechanical: 75bhp, 1,360cc 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5spd gearbox.
Max Speed: 107mph
0-62mph: 13.3 secs
Combined mpg: 44.1
Insurance Group: 5
CO2 emissions: 153g/km
BiK rating: 15%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 12yrs antirust.