THERE can be little mystery about what a car maker sees as the main selling point of a model which it calls the Spaceback.

The clue, as they say, is in the name and Skoda's Rapid Spaceback certainly lives up to its descriptive moniker. It is a family hatchback with, unsurprisingly, lots of room in the back.

In fact, the Czech marque confidently proclaims, this motor offers class-leading knee and head room for rear passengers while the boot is also the biggest in the segment.

And after a few days of ferrying my lot around in it there is no doubt that the Spaceback is a comfortable, spacious and practical family option.

The Rapid first hit the road in 2012 as a saloon-styled hatch, slipping into the rapidly expanding Skoda range between the Fabia and the Octavia and filling a niche left as the manufacturer sought to move the latter into more premium territory.

That version quickly won acclaim for its generous space and practicality at an affordable price and was particularly noted for its capacious boot.

Although the Spaceback is actually smaller in that department, and a little shorter, than its sibling, clever packaging makes every bit of space count while the more traditional hatchback styling will appeal to British tastes.

The extra rear height it affords still allows for an impressive luggage space of up to 415 litres (it's 384 if you opt for a spare wheel or 380 with the clever variable boot floor) which rises to 1,380 litres with the split rear seats down, although they do not fold flat.

Shrinking the boot slightly though, means that back-seat passengers are treated to the sort of space you'd expect from a much bigger car, with plenty of head and leg room.

Skoda has also added its usual neat touches to make the cabin space as practical and user-friendly as possible.

All four door bins are generously sized, as is the glove box and my mid-range SE trim car also had a sunglasses holder in the roof and a flip-down front centre armrest with further storage space.

Comfortable, supportive seats, a logical and uncluttered control panel and good all-round vision make driving a thoroughly pleasant experience - with the emphasis here on relaxation rather than excitement.

The 90ps, 1.6-litre diesel engine offers plenty of pull across the board and should be relatively cheap to run with average fuel consumption of more than 62 miles per gallon and carbon emissions of 118g/km.

And paired with the impressively smooth seven-speed automatic DSG transmission fitted in my test car, it offers some surprisingly sharp performance for its modest power output.

Off-the-mark acceleration felt quicker than the quoted 12.1 seconds for the 0-62mph sprint and throttle response was prompt and assured on the move - when kicking down to overtake, for instance.

There is some diesel rattle under acceleration but noise is not a problem when cruising and the supple suspension strikes a good balance between comfort and control - most of the vagaries in the road surface being ironed out pretty well.

The Spaceback is slightly more expensive than the original Rapid but you do get some good kit for your cash.

SE trim really has most things you'd wish for in a family motor with alloy wheels, multi-function steering wheel, rear parking sensors, cruise control, aircon, Bluetooth and stability control all included. If you really need it, an upgraded stereo with satnav costs an extra £550.