Price is right for Altea XL

Official figures for the car were announced this week, with the base 1.6 Reference at £12,995. That's £630 more than the standard-sized Altea.

All variants have air-con, an MP3 stereo with auxiliary input and a 532-litre boot - up from 409 litres on the regular model. Fold the rear seats and you free up a massive 1,604 litres.

A choice of 1.6-litre petrol and 1.9 and 2.0 TDI diesel engines are offered initially. The 140bhp 2.0 TDI Stylance is £16,895 - £500 more than in standard guise. The 1.8-litre T-FSI petrol and 168bhp 2.0 TDI diesel will follow, from £16,295 and £18,045 respectively.