The engines though, are anonymous to the point of being brilliant. Let's face it, most estates are simply there to plough up and down the country ferrying kids and dogs, so it makes sense that they're understated and therefore cooler. But cooler is not exciting, so to have a quiet diesel tucked under the bonnet suits things ideally.

The 2.0-litre diesel will prove to be the most popular, as a staggering 77 per cent of sales are predicted in its direction, but choosing a powerplant isn't quite as simple as it used to be.

With the Avant launch, Audi is reeling out virtually every single variant it can think of - NINE in total. So in 2.0-litre diesel form, there will be three power levels - a 141bhp that you can already get in the saloon, a bargain-basement 118bhp due in August, and also one with 208bhp, due in October.

The 208bhp version is the one to go for. Audi's diesels never used to be all that refined, but they must have stuffed a lot of cotton wool somewhere, because they're now seriously smooth. This engine is no different, and extracting that extra power hasn't made it hugely less economical (41mpg v 49mpg). Plus, there's more punch on offer, so in reality you won't have to work it as hard, which should make the figures closer in practice.

Anyone with a fear of diesel rattle should drive this unit. Rev it hard, and it almost sounds like a four-cylinder petrol - there are certainly no vibrations coming back through the cabin, and even at idle it's quiet. This is no different to the 3.0-litre diesel, but you're starting to talk quite serious money for those, so the 2.0 makes more sense. The only slight downside to the 2.0-litre is the long sixth gear - it makes for relaxed cruising, but the 50-70mph punch isn't quite as quick as it could be.

Petrols are harder to justify in this sort of car, but the 2.0 TFSI with 208bhp is the best of those. The 3.2 V6 is too much, but the smaller engine has a bit more character and actually sounds better. Watch it in the wet though - even on dry roads, there's plenty of torque steer on offer. The diesels, on the other hand, deliver their torque more smoothly.

As such, I wouldn't bother with the Drive Select option. This is a £1,000 option, which uses a flow valve in the shock absorber to control how stiff the suspension is, but I struggle to see the point.

It strikes me that someone might use it for the first 500 miles of ownership, then get bored and simply leave it in auto. It doesn't transform the Avant into a sports car, and without it the car is still perfectly pleasant to drive. Precise yet dull steering, minimal body roll, safe understeer - you know the deal.

As well as for space, Audi has lengthened the wheelbase in the A4 to try to get the engine weight further back, thus lowering the nose-heavy sense you get when turning into a corner, but Drive Select doesn't cure this. On the six-cylinder models though, it also tweaks the steering, which is more noticeable and a very good thing.

As you'd expect, this all means a safe evolution of the A4 Avant, rather than a radical departure. And who could blame Audi for playing it safe? This year's sales in the UK are better than those for Mercedes or BMW, but that in itself presents a problem - how to maintain the mentality of 'I bought an Audi because I'm not following the crowd', while still growing those sales.

Cars like this Avant will help, because they're not trendy and unlikely to be bought by tossers. The fact that it's more practical than ever is the icing on the cake.

Piers Ward