SCOUTING was very popular when I was a lad.

In fact, I too wore my woggle with pride, until, that is, I got bored of a couple of the older lads locking me in a cupboard under the sink.

I still bear the emotional scars to this day, but thats another story, and I wont bore you with it.

No, Scouts were, by and large, a dependable bunch back then. They'd clear your drive in winter, run errands and take on tasks far beyond their meagre years for a few pennies during Bob-a-Job week.

These days, however, they have been marginalised, despite the powers that bes best attempts to reinvent the organisation. You rarely see them out on the streets, I cant recall the last time I heard the words 'gang show' used in the right context and they almost never knock on your door offering to 'clean your golf clubs, mister?'

What, you may ask, does this have to do with a family estate car? Well, like the two-legged Scouts, Skoda's model of the same name lacks a real sense of purpose.

The Fabia estate that it is based on is a worthy addition to the ranks. It looks nice, drives well and has more than enough room for almost all of your needs.

So why, I am left asking myself, do we need a version with a few bolted on body parts?

Surely Skoda does not think that it can coax people away from big 4x4s and into the Scout? For starters it is not four-wheel drive, nor does it offer the high-driving position of a true off-roader. What is more, the company already has a family 4x4 in the guise of the far more capable Skoda Yeti.

Skoda's press spiel says the Scout is 'aimed at drivers who want the image and styling of an SUV without the high running costs and parking problems often associated with 4x4s'.

So, if I have interpreted that correctly, it's a case of all show and no go for a few quid, and, it must be said in its defence, it is only a few quid, more.

While our car came in at more than £16,000 with various add ons, for £14,930 on the road you get beefed up bumpers, roof rails, side mouldings, neat alloys and, inside, seats made of harder-wearing materials, brushed stainless steel pedals and some Scout logos.

Before I am accused of lacking objectivity, taken in isolation, I do like the Scout and those chunky bumpers may be a bonus in crowded supermarket car parks. But, to my mind at least, it is rather superfluous in the grand scheme of things.

It handles well, its 1.6 litre engine is peppy around town and copes admirably on the open road, it returns a more than decent rate of mpg and, despite the likes of the radio looking a bit dated, has a well laid out and functional interior.

It's just that they are all attributes that can be found in the standard estate. There is nothing really over and above what you already get or what it already does to make it worthwhile considering, unless, that is, you want to give the impression of driving something you are not.

Scout's honour? Unfortunately, not this time.