THE Superb is the car that says it all about Skoda and it's been a flagship name since the 1930s.

A limousine in every sense of the word, the Superb is about to flourish as Skoda launches the third generation of the current model.

Executive grade throughout but costing no more than a family hatchback, the new Superb is bigger and better than ever before.

Masses of legroom in the rear give it true VIP credentials and the latest Superb is sure to make a fine chauffeur car as well as appealing to a broader market with a boot that is as big as you can get ranging from 625 to 1,760 litres.

The new car is very well thought out and practical with some fantastic touches such as two umbrellas stored in the front door armrests, a torch in the boot which is magnetic and can be stuck to the bodywork should you need illumination for a night-time tyre change and an ice scraper housed inside the fuel filler flap so it is easily accessible.

Such attention to detail has become a Skoda trait and so are the cooled glovebox and centre console, two sizeable pockets in every door that can take 1.5-litre bottles and a luggage restraint system that uses moveable dividers which can be attached anywhere to the boot floor with Velcro.

There is much about this car which will put a smile on your face and that is before it has even ventured onto the road.

This is a Skoda that is upmarket, modern and luxurious while being a fraction of the price of cars of similar proportions such as the Audi A8, the Lexus LS 600 and the long wheelbase Jaguar XJ.

The new Superb is based on the MQB platform first used by Skoda's parent group Volkswagen on the new Golf and the Audi A3 but it has been stretched to make the Superb almost 16 feet long.

Prices start for the new Superb from £18,640 and top out at £34,740 for an all-wheel-drive automatic - and that makes it an awful lot of car for the money.

It is sharply styled, well proportioned and will not be at all out of place on the directors' car park.

Skoda has done away with the ‘half boot, half hatch' tailgate of the previous model and has gone for a more conventional hatchback which on the top specification cars can be opened remotely.

With such a large boot aperture the tailgate is big but the height of the opening can be restricted automatically for safe operation in low roof zones such as a multi-storey car park.

Eight engines are available in the new line up - five of them petrol - and all meet the latest emission standards with overall economy improved by 30 per cent across the range.

Diesels cost from £20,040 for a 1.6-litre developing 120ps which Skoda claims is good for 68.9mpg with emissions as low as 105g/km.

A more powerful 2.0-litre diesel with 150ps on tap is just as economical and delivers a lively performance of 0 to 60 in 8.9 seconds while the range topper with its Haldex AWD system and 190ps diesel is rated officially at 56.5mpg with a CO2 figure of 132g/km.

We tried the 4x4 with its six-speed DSG auto box and the 150ps six-speed manual version and averaged 43.5 and 48mpg respectively.

From an all round perspective the most impressive of the new models was not a diesel but the 1.4-litre petrol turbo boosted to 150ps yet with a cylinder on demand system to cut out two of the pots under low loads and boost economy.

In the top but one Executive trim Superb this engine costs from £24,220 and proved to be exceptionally lively. It may not be as frugal as the diesel at 57.7mpg (we achieved 35) but is £900 cheaper and no so expensive to refuel.

All three variants we sampled drove nicely, exhibiting no bad habits and the ride was smooth and accommodating.

For the first time Skoda is fitting the new Superb with adaptive suspension and a multi-mode drive control which can switch the car from an eco setting to a sporty configuration at the touch of a button.

The sport mode was slightly on the hard side and the car was at its best left to its own devices in the normal setting where it showed considerable potential as a great, long distance, luxury cruiser.

Top specification Laurin and Klement models not only bear the name of Skoda's founders but come with fine leather trim, triple zone climate control and upgraded instruments including an eight-inch touchscreen and a 10 speaker sound system as well as additional safety measures such as lane departure warning, blind spot monitors and automatic parking - and that's on a car costing from £28,740 for the 150ps diesel model we tried.

It is the most sophisticated Skoda to date and a car which dares to deliver limousine luxury to the masses.

An estate will be joining the hatchback later in the year and both versions of the new Superb are due for release in September.