Leon CUPRA ST? Not sure if they're all 4Drive or if it's just the new ones, but worth a look.
Well guys, an update. After reading all of the sage advice here, looking at various brands and model of car and in the end was (as suspected) umm’ing and ahh’ing between the Golf R Estate (GRE) and the Leon ST Cupra 300 (ST300). I went to see them both at a dealer and wow... I was blown away by the looks of the ST300 which imo looks lovely and far better than either the GRE (which looks like a bit of a plain and tubby barge in comparison) or even the hatchback version of the Leon Cupra 300. The interior is 'acceptable', seats are very comfy, and the sound system is surprisingly good. The boot space is very practical with the ski hatch and the seats are a doddle to fold down for when I shift stuff on IKEA trips.
However, it was when I test drove it that I realised how special this car is. The steering is extremely precise and responsive to compliment the grip and there was none of the sponginess to the brake and accelerator that I experienced in my friends Audi A3. When I put my foot down in the areas that allowed it? Holy crap, it shifts! What is even more impressive is that the ST300 seemed just as happy tootling around town in traffic as it was cruising along on a motorway, the DSG box is smooth and the cabin noise was surprisingly low to the point where me and my friend who joined me were both impressed. Lets just say that when I got back to the dealer with it I was grinning like a loon and made a mental commitment to get the car.
After realising I also get a 13% work discount the dealer has now offered me a brand new 2018 model, in Perineos grey, fully loaded with everything but the kitchen sink and a 5 year warranty and service package, for a couple of grand more than the price of a 12-18 month old example.
Yes I could have have gone for an older BMW (or insert other 'prestige' brand here) and had a "respectable badge" in the eyes of the masses, but I know what I like when I see it and the ST300 ticks pretty much all of my boxes; I know it will be a great match to my needs for the next couple of years of mountains, skiing and road trips.
Thanks for all of the advice in the thread and if anything changes, or if I hopefully do get it in the next couple of months, I will update here.