On the road: I’M still not comfortable with naming a car after a superlative, but it’s difficult to argue that the Skoda Superb does not live up to its billing.

The name itself has actually been around since 1934 and for the geeks among you it is said to have been inspired by the Latin word ‘superbus’ – which would seem to do this stylish load lugger something of a disservice.

Even easier on the eye – with a definite nod towards its Audi cousins - and now larger and roomier than the previous model, it demonstrates that it is possible to be all things to all people.

We tested the estate version, featuring a 2.0 litre diesel engine, putting out just shy of 150bhp and allied to a six-speed manual gearbox.

That was good enough for a top speed of 135mph and a nought to 62mph time of 8.9 seconds.

The diesel engine does sound a little gruff on start-up and under extreme acceleration, but driven normally there is little to cause any consternation.

I found the ride more than acceptable on all but the most rutted of road surfaces.

On the inside: WHILE Skoda interiors had come on leaps and bounds, until recently I still found them a little low rent compared to their rivals.

However, in recent times, they have more than stepped up to the plate and are on a par with the best. The seats were extremely comfortable and featured a range of adjustments.

The cabin is light and airy and the vision is good regardless of the direction you are facing.

What do you get: OUR SE badged car came with an on the road price of £23,290, but options fitted to it pushed the price up to £30,790. For that we got 17ins alloys, alcantara and leather upholstery, bi-xenon headlights, Columbus satellite navigation with 8ins touchscreen, drive mode selection, electronically operated boot, front and rear parking sensors, sunset glass, seven airbags, Bluetooth and DAB radio.

In addition there was dual zone climate control, electric windows front and rear, electrically adjustable, heated and folding mirrors, stop start engine system, split folding rear seats and an electromechanical parking brake.

How practical is it: BIG means properly big with the Superb. Normally the person allocated the middle seat in the rear draws the short straw, but even they will find little if anything to complain about.

The boot has 660 litres of space with the seats up, while dropping the seats increases that to a near cavernous 1,950 litres.

There are also plenty of cubbies and hidey holes.

Running costs: SKODA reckon you should be able to get close to 69mpg on the combined cycle. CO2 emissions come in at 109g/km.

Verdict: Bigger and better, new Superb is perfectly named.

Alternatives: Volvo V70, Audi A6