Category: Large Family 
Price Range: £15,905 to £26,885
Plenty of rear-seat space, supple ride, reputation for reliability, cavernous boot, versatile tailgate, quiet.
Feels heavy, too much delay on auto-box kickdown, can feel a little cumbersome.
An excellent cruiser offering a very comfortable ride, but doesn't match the Mondeo's driving dynamics.
This is not the second-generation Superb from Skoda, but the third. The first appeared back in 1934, complete with running boards and huge proportions. The second took its time, not arriving until 2001.
Based on the Volkswagen Passat platform, it offered huge levels of comfort, a great drive and fantastic build quality, living up to is name. It underwent a facelift to come into line with the new Skoda 'look', but it was largely unchanged - until now.
The new Superb is a dramatic reincarnation - not just on the outside but in the interior too. Skoda is proud of the fact that this car is all-new, not just a Volkswagan Passat with Skoda body panels and switchgear.
It's also had a wholesale rejuvenation under the skin, using a combination of Passat underpinnings and Octavia parts, but Skoda insists that the platform on this car is totally new... and for the record, it's 6cm longer than the Ford Mondeo.
Almost 1,800 Superbs were sold in the UK last year, but Skoda is hoping this update will capture the imagination of those who just want something a bit different. It's a busy marketplace full of class acts: the Mondeo, the Citroen C5, Mazda 6 - and that's before you even consider the imminent arrival of the Insignia, Vauxhall's Vectra replacement.
So, can the Superb muscle its way through the family car throng and take on the heavyweights? Prices have not been finalised but they are expected to be competitive, ranging from £15,500 to £24,000. It's got a good platform and, with Skoda's increasing reputation for reliability, it must be a consideration for those who want a solid, classy, family four-door.
