Style and practicality are awkward bedfellows. In fact, you'd be lucky to find them in the same house, never mind the same bed.

Take the mankini, for example: Stylish? Absolutely! Practical? I'll let you come to your own conclusion on that one.

It's the same with cars. There are some exceptions of course, but they simply prove the rule. The Golf Estate SE 1.6-litre TDI that I drove recently has all four wheels firmly planted in the practical camp, so more Schwarzenegger than Schiffer then.

The thing about old Arnie is you always know exactly what you're going to get from him and the same is true about the Golf Estate. I don't mean the Golf is going to relentlessly hunt you down, killing anything and everything that gets in its way. No, it's going to be comfortable, reliable and, there's that word again, practical.

This is a car that is meant to carry large loads with the minimum of fuss and that's reflected in its design, with the flat roof and square tailgate helping to maximise the space available. How much space, I hear you ask. With the seats in place, 605-litres, which is just about on a par with the Skoda Octavia. There's also comfortably still room for four six-footers (that's two in the front, two in the back in case you were wondering).

The boot opening is wide, low and level but the rear seats don't fold completely flat which means that sliding bulky items in isn't as simple as it should be. There's a recess under the boot floor with room for a little extra luggage and a handy cover that cleverly slides halfway back with one touch.

The infotainment system fitted to my car was equipped with a 5.8inch touchscreen with sat nav, DAB radio, CD player, auxiliary input and a Multi Device Interface with iPod (30-pin and Lightning) connection cables. Although I’m not an iPod user, I did try switching out the two supplied cables and I found the process quite awkward. Fortunately it’s not something that you’re going to need to do frequently.

You can connect your phone via Bluetooth and add your favourites, including their contact photos, so that calling them is just one prod away.

Speaking of prodding, I should point out that the touchscreen is one of the better ones I've encountered. There's a proximity sensor which activates a menu as you move your hand close to the screen, which I found to be responsive to all but the most tender of touches.

The 105ps 1.6-litre diesel is very well insulated from the passenger space and even when the demands on its limited resources increase it remains unobtrusive. Diesel engines have come a long way, literally, over the last decade or so, and nowhere is that more evident than from the cockpit of this car.

Handling is on a par with the hatchback, it’s just that in this particular guise the performance isn’t there to exploit it. This certainly isn't a car that will give you a tingle in the coccyx - unless the quoted 85.6mpg (extra-urban) is enough to light up those nerve-endings - but then it isn't mean to.

This car wants you to take your time, to be unhurried. In fact, it insists on it. And why would you rush? It's a pleasant environment to be in. The seats are supportive, there's plenty of room for all your limbs and build quality is exactly what you'd expect from VW.

Safety features include front, knee and curtain airbags, anti-lock braking system, hydraulic brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and an electronic differential lock. If you want the short version that’s ABS, HBA, ESC, ASR and EDL. If you think that’s the last of the initialisms, think again.

Automatic Distance Control (ADC) maintains a safe distance to the vehicle in front when you’re using cruise control. It’s a useful aid when you’ve got a lot of motorway miles to cover and, in cars fitted with the automatic gearbox, works in stop-start traffic. All the driver has to do is steer.

If you're looking for thrills then you'll have to look elsewhere, this Golf is definitely not for you. However, if your ideal car needs a huge boot, will comfortably seat four adults and still return more than 70mpg, then walk this way.

For more information on the VW Golf Estate click here.

GOLF ESTATE SE 1.6-litre TDI

PRICE FROM: £21,885

AS TESTED: 23,770

ENGINE: 1.6-litre TDI

TRANSMISSION: Five-speed manual

ACCELERATION (0.62mph): 11.2 secs

MAXIMUM SPEED: 120mph

URBAN: 57.6mpg

EXTRA-URBAN: 85.6mpg

COMBINED: 72.4mpg

CO2 EMISSIONS:102 g/km