EVERYTHING about the Skoda Superb is huge – except the bills to run it.

Now in its third generation, the Czech carmaker’s flagship is more comfortable, more spacious, yet offers lower running costs.

If you want maximum carrying capacity for minimum cash, this car is where you should start your search.

With prices starting at under £20,000, in hatchback and estate versions, it comes with a choice of seven engines and five trim levels.

Longer and wider than the previous model, its longer wheelbase gives even more room in the cabin. The space for those in the front is impressive, but the rear legroom is simply awesome.

The estate has 660 litres of carrying capacity with the rear seats in place and 1,950 litres with the seats down – an increase of 85 litres over the previous model.

This is a big car that comfortably handles just about anything you can throw at it it. Both hatch and estate models are optionally available with a new feature that enables owners to open the electric tailgate hands-free with a simple foot movement around the bottom of the rear bumper, useful if you have your hands full.

But what is remarkable about this space machine is how good it is to drive. Quiet and comfortable at speed, it rides and handles much better than such a massive car deserves to.

An electronic drive mode selector also allows you to choose whether you want to set up the car for a sportier ride or go for ultimate comfort.

And it is the blend of practicality, elegant design and value for money that led The Sunday Times to name the Superb Estate as the best large estate car on the market as part of its annual Top 100 Cars special.

All Superb models have alloy wheels, air conditioning, LED rear lights, Bluetooth, DAB digital radio and a touchscreen infotainment system. An electronic safety system is also fitted across the range, with the extra benefit of multi-collision brake included – triggering automatic brake intervention upon detection of a collision – as standard.

The test model packed in everything from bi-xenon headlights, leather upholstery with heated seats and satellite navigation with an eight-inch touchscreen, to 18-inch Zenith alloy wheels and an electrically-operated boot.

On the safety front, the Superb is available with blind spot detection; rear traffic alert, which makes reversing out of parking spaces safer; park assist, which enables automatic parking in parallel spaces, and in perpendicular spaces either nose-first or tail-first and, on semi-automatic gearbox-equipped models, traffic jam assist, which makes driving in heavy traffic less stressful.

An optional retractable tow bar is available, with an integrated socket, which is unlatched using a lever in the boot loading sill. When folded in, the tow bar is completely concealed underneath the vehicle.

Other neat touches include an innovative ‘one-handed cupholder’ which has an ultra-grippy rubber base, making unscrewing even the tightest of bottle tops easy.

Another feature is a removable torch in the boot that recharges itself when docked. Press it once and you get maximum light that lasts up to 24 hours. Press it twice for a dimmer light that lasts up to 48 hours.

And if you want proof of just how upmarket the Superb has moved, all SE models now also include two umbrellas, one stowed in each of the front doors – a feature only rivalled by the likes of Rolls-Royce.

AUTO FACTS

Model: Skoda Superb Estate SE L Executive Estate
Price: £26,320
Insurance group: 19E
Fuel consumption (Combined): 67.3mpg
Top speed: 135mph
Length: 485.6cm/192in
Width: 186.4cm/74in
Luggage capacity: 23.3 cu ft
Fuel tank capacity: 14.5 gallons/66 litres
CO2 emissions: 110g/km
Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles