The space age has come to Hyundai in the form of an i30 wagon based on the i30 car. So if you want more space and still the same value, then there's more on offer in the i30 Cross Wagon as Michael Moroney found out during his recent test drive. Hyundai now has a more spacious version of the i30 on the market to give more space than the standard car.

The Hyundai i30 Cross Wagon with a price tag of €22,100 is a compact and competitive estate car that is good to drive and well equipped.

The new i30 is considered as a compact estate, with some of the features of the hatchback and just that extra bit of load carrying space. The Cross Wagon has a longer interior with more load space.

Price is all-important in this sector of the market and Hyundai has pitched the i30 Cross Wagon pricing to be especially competitive. The closest competition is the Kia Sporty Wagon, which is also part of the Korean Hyundai group.

So don't be surprised if the cars look similar, they should. And that's why I've compared them in my analysis of the i30 Cross Wagon.

For me, the obvious comparison is the 1.6 litre turbo-diesel powered Kia Sporty Wagon. The reason for this comparison is that they use the same diesel engine, although Kia gets marginally more power and torque from it. The Hyundai i30 is rated at 90bhp, while the Kia competition rates the engine at 115bhp.

That extra power gives the Kia the edge over the i30 CW, which comes with a 0 to 100km/hr acceleration rate of 14.9 seconds, three seconds slower than the Kia. What makes this all the more interesting is the fact that they have identical fuel economy figures and a very similar CO2 rating.

The i30 CW comes with an economy figure of 4.9 litre/100km (57.6mpg), identical to that of the Sporty Wagon. On the CO2 ratings, the Hyundai is marginally ahead and both cars are in the Band B category for road tax, costing just €156 per year. That means running costs are comparable, even though the Kia Sporty Wagon delivers more pace from its 1.6 litre turbo-diesel engine.

When you analyse the technical specifications of the cars, there's little to separate them. If anything, the Kia may have the edge in terms of some features such as towing rating and load space.

The i30 CW drives well and is smooth in terms of control and steering ability. The diesel engine is relatively smooth and has adequate power but only just, as the relatively low torque makes gear changes necessary more often than I would have liked.

The i30 comes with an impressive safety package. There are six airbags in total, including front, side and curtain airbags. The car has three ISOFIX child seat anchor points. What's missing from the offer is Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), which is becoming available in comparable cars, but not the Kia offering yet.

In creature comfort terms, there may be slight differences in favour of the Hyundai but they are not that significant. So in reality, the choice is down to price.

The i30 Cross Wagon comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, roof rails and fog lights to give a more stylish look to the car. The interior package includes integrated audio, CD player with MP3 and iPod and a full climate control system. The seats have a half leather look and are matched with a leather steering wheel. The glove box has a cooling feature.

Hyundai offer a three-year warranty with the i30 Cross Wagon, while Kia with a similar car offer an extra deal to give a five-year warranty deal. The i30 Cross Wagon offer costs €22,100 before delivery charges. That's a €500 premium over the hatchback car, which is a reasonable offer in terms of the extra space that you get.

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