SOMEONE stopped me in the car park the other day and asked me about my car - it was the first time they had seen that particular model and at first glance thought it was a BMW.
It was, in fact, the new Vauxhall Antara, and although there are similarities to the X3/X5 series, it won't leave such a burning hole in your pocket.
Offering the best of both worlds with the comfort and style of a luxury saloon along with the off-road performance of a 4x4, the Antara really has something for everyone.
The cabin is light and spacious and there are touches of real class everywhere from the heated leather seats to the satellite navigation system and top notch air con facility.
There is ample room for five adults - of the tall variety - to travel in comfort and they can bring along plenty of luggage too as the boot area is vast and there are numerous other storage compartments throughout.
From the outside, the first thing to impress is the smooth, streamlining of the Antara - it has a rugged look, but oozes style too. The roof rails and alloy wheels simply add to that classic active-look appeal.
The Antara boasts intelligent four-wheel-drive, which means the electronically-controlled system switches from two to four-wheel-drive depending on the driving conditions.
And there are a whole host of other impressive safety features including descent control stability, an electronic stability programme, intelligent anti-lock braking system, an automatically-dimming rearview mirror, tyre pressure monitors and parking sensors (although this feature was a little too sensitive for my liking).
The high-seated driving position makes parking easy and offers excellent visibility generally.
The drive is pretty responsive too with the 2.0-litre engine offering plenty of power both in and around town and on the more open road. If I had to find fault, I did find myself looking for that sixth gear on more than one occasion.
But all in all, quite an impressive line-up for a vehicle carrying a £26,000 price-tag, especially when you take into account all the extras that come as standard.
FAST FACTS
Vauxhall Antara SE 2.0 CDTi 5dr
Price: £26,320
Mechanical: 150bhp, 1,991cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving four wheels via 5spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 111mph
0-62mph: 11.1 secs
Combined mpg: 37.2
Insurance group: 13
CO2 emissions: 198g/km
BiK rating: 29%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles, 6yrs anti-rust