New Skoda Superb looks, um, superb

People of the world who appreciate well-appointed, sensible, spacious and good value executive cars, today is your lucky day. Skoda has just pulled the wraps from its new flagship, the Superb.

When Skoda first unveiled the original Superb many moons ago, people guffawed at its presumptuous naming policy. But they had to quickly reel in their laughter, as the Czech saloon-hatch-thingy was pretty much just that. And this new one, with its sharp-edged looks, shiny new platform and Argos-catalogue worth of goodies, plans not to let standards slip.

Using the lime-green, massive-wheeled four-door liftback Vision C concept as an aesthetic base, the Czechs have sculpted a Superb with impressively defined lines, one that wouldn't look out of place in a car park of Audi A6s and VW Passats.

The new Skoda has shed the fat, too. As part of the ever-expanding MQB franchise, the big Superb has lost 75kg from the chassis, powertrain, bodywork and gubbins even though it's grown by 80mm in the wheelbase. Amazing, considering the doors house not one, but two umbrellas.

Roominess is something the new Superb has in abundance. Drivers gain 39mm more elbow-room and head-room, and there's 157mm more leg-room in the back. The cavernous boot has been extended to 625 litres, or a black-hole-worthy 1760 litres with the seats folded down.

Engines are all four-cylinder affairs. The range in the UK kicks off with a 1.4 petrol, but we do get the 2.0-litre, 280bhp turbo four from the Leon Cupra, equipped with 4WD and DSG. Considering 98 per cent of sales in the UK will be snaffled by the two 2.0-litre diesels (in 150 and 190bhp flavours), these powerful petrols will be proper Q-cars and no doubt rare as unicorn droppings, and thus second-hand heroes in years to come.

Prices are set to start at £20,000 for a base model, rising to £35,000 for a fully-specced Superb complete with a multitude of safety aids, Dynamic Chassis Control and wifi capability.

Skoda claim the new Superb is the best car it's ever produced, a BIG claim considering they were the creators of the famed Felicia Fun. Can this new Superb trump that yellow pick-up? Let us know below.