THE last car on this planet that needs more cabin space is a Skoda Superb.

We might think that, but the good people running Skoda had other ideas and made the new model longer and wider. 

So the car which already had rear legroom more akin to a stretched limo now has even more.

Superb Mk3 has been built on a new Volkswagen group platform which has allowed the engineers to stretch the wheelbase by 80mm and that is why cabin space has grown. 

In the case of the estate, which has more room than some bedsits, the total luggage hole has grown by 85 litres and now stands at 1,950 litres. How big is that? Well pop into the bedroom and take a look at the double wardrobe. That will fit in the back of the Superb.

Space has always been Superb’s key selling point. Back in 2001 when it arrived on the scene people were still being stupid about the Skoda name and something extra was needed to take the fight to the establishment.

It has largely worked and these days there is a lot more to Superb than room to stretch out. The car is well put together, benefitting from the quality fixtures and fittings from its masters at Volkswagen, but more importantly Mk3 has grown a personality of its own. It has been suited and booted with a sharp fresh face that will no longer be mistaken for a VW Passat.

And the new platform has helped overcome the old model’s tendency to wallow through twists and turns. The car is bigger but has not put on any extra weight, it’s lost it to the tune of 75kg.

It does not have the sporty dynamics of an Audi A4 but is a lot more controlled and sure-footed when called on to show what it can do under more testing road conditions. My car was all wheel drive and with its slightly raised suspension was always going to produce a taut rather than silky smooth ride.

The 4x4 option, also available on the smaller Octavia, has an important role to play for Skoda which is the only brand in the VW-Audi family without a large SUV in its line up. That will change next year with the arrival of Kodiaq but for now the all wheel drive Superb estate has to fill the gap.

The extra traction is hard to detect in dry conditions as it happens automatically, sending power to the correct wheel at the right time but the car never feels burdened by the increased weight of the all wheel drive system.

What I particularly like about this estate are the practical touches thrown in to make life a little easier. There’s an adjustable boot floor creating a shallow hidden compartment, lots of hooks, a selection of cargo nets (one is the norm, if at all) and Velcro dividers that stick to the floor, all of which keep loose items under control. And then there is the removable torch in the boot wall that recharges when the car is underway.

Take a look in the frame of each front door and you will find an umbrella, a neat accessory shared with a certain Rolls-Royce company.

In truth Superb is pretty flawless and the issues I homed in on are no more than niggles. However, Skoda might like to consider why a £32,000 car, one notch away from top spec, doesn’t have a reversing camera, or levers in the boot wall to lower the back seats. All I could find were plastic covers where the levers might be fixed.

That said this car offers an awful lot for the money, and that is with a six-speed DSG automatic gearbox, and the most powerful of the two-litre diesel engines which averaged a respectable 47mpg.

The Superb’s trophy cabinet is bulging with awards and it is not difficult to see why.

Skoda Superb Estate SE L Executive

Engine: 2-litre TDI; 186bhp

Performance: 0-62mph 7.7secs; 142mph

Economy: 55.4mpg combined

Emissions: 135g/km. Road tax £130

Insurance group: 23

Price: £32,310