WHEN you name a car Superb you are leaving yourself open to a lot of criticism if you don’t get it right.

Skoda’s Superb has been around for a long time, a lot longer than you might think in fact.

It was first manufactured between 1934 and 1942 before being retired, only to be revived in 2001.

It would have been hard to imagine a Superb among the Czech company’s ranks in the 1980s, when it was the butt of many a cruel joke.

But since Volkswagen came on board, Skoda has had the last laugh.

The current Superb proves that it is possible to build a quality car for the kind of money more usually associated with the family sector.

It may not be a thing of beauty, especially from the rear, but it ticks more boxes than not and it is a serious alternative to more established marques, including some from within its own stable.

The Superb has a cavernous interior – there is no other word for it.

In the front, both the driver and passenger benefit from increased footwell space, while there is acres of room in all directions for those in the rear.

The room in the boot is so plentiful you could probably lie down in it without feeling cramped.

If anything, it’s probably too big. I can’t imagine anybody having enough shopping or luggage to fill it to capacity.

Getting access to the boot is no problem either, thanks to a world-first piece of innovation.

Press a button under the boot lip, to the right of centre, and the brake light in the rear window lights up. Press the central boot button and the entire rear lifts up like a regular hatchback.

If you don’t need that kind of access, then just press the central button and you’ve got a normal saloon boot.

Unlike the free Skoda umbrella that opens and closes with the touch of a button and comes as standard with the car, the boot is not a gimmick. It’s a clever solution to an age-old problem.

The layout of the dash is easy for the driver to negotiate and everything is close at hand.

Close your eyes and the Superb’s heritage is obvious. It oozes Volkswagen from the smell to the feel of the equipment, and that brings with it a reassurance of its quality. You know it’s all been put together well and has been built to last.

In fact, it’s only when it comes to the mechanicals that I found anything to really moan about, and even then I could be accused of being picky.

I found the diesel engine in our test car a little old fashioned, noisy at start-up and when you put it through its paces.

Road noise, on all but the best of road surfaces, was a little intrusive too.

It handles well enough, though, and for such a large car there is little or no pitch or roll.

With the kind of equipment it has as standard you would expect to pay significantly more than the £20,000 you’d have to shell out for the Skoda.

And that’s probably its biggest selling point.

Superb might be pushing it a little, but for what it has to offer it’s not far off.

Specification

Engine: 2.0 TDI
Max power: 140bhp
Max torque: 236lb/ft
Max speed: 129mph
0-62mph: 10.2 seconds
Avg fuel consumption: 47.9mpg
Equipment (includes): 17in alloys; chrome trim; front fog lights with cornering function; ESP; halogen headlights; tinted glass; four-spoke leather multifuction steering wheel; rear parking sensors; cruise control; dual-zone air conditioning; radio with six CD changer; alarm; airbags; electric windows; trip computer.