It could be argued that it's taken Skoda 75 years to produce a luxury car that really lives up to its name. After all, the Skoda Superb first appeared in 1934. But that would be a bit unfair, as the current generation model didn't arrive until 2001.

It's always been regarded as a cheeky name. After all, Skoda was the butt of all motoring jokes only 20 years ago. But Skoda just hasn't listened to the jibes and has set about steadily reinventing itself, finding a new lease of life under the Volkswagen umbrella.

Incredibly, they have finally produced a Superb that doesn't breach the Trades Description Act. In fact, up against stellar opposition such as Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall Insignia, Renault Laguna, Peugeot 407 and Toyota Avensis, I recently named it as my own Car of the Year 2008.

Given the choice of any of the above, I'd pick the Skoda and to hell with badge snobbery – it's that good.

Skimming through the glossy press pack that came with the test car, what struck me is Skoda's modesty. They don't refer to German rivals as the benchmark in class, yet the Superb could now truthfully claim parity – if you sat a driver in the Superb cockpit without a badge in sight, he or she would find it hard to tell they weren't in a machine with Teutonic heritage.

The new Superb is a dramatic reincarnation, both inside and outside. Skoda is at pains to point out that the car is all-new, with Passat underpinnings and Octavia parts, and actually 6cms longer than the Mondeo.

First impressions are very favourable. The Superb is an understated yet elegant mid-sized saloon with a chunky grille, fluted bonnet and charming profile, and quality inside and out is top-notch.

Skoda wisely opts for timeless and classy all-black interiors, offset by brightwork door pulls and metallic-look tooled strips on dashboard and doors.
The sloping, upright fascia takes up little room and is soft-touch tactile, with hooded, Alfa-style main dials graced by startling, neon-sharp white needles.

The centre stack is dominated by a CD-tuner of awesome sound quality, featuring a clever "reverse countdown" feature which shows time elapsed and seconds to the end of each track at the same time – fascinating to watch.

The Superb 1.9TDI model I tested boasted opulent stitched leather seats with three-position heating, plus adjustable lumbar support, which now seems to be making a comeback, and all electrically operated, of course.

Finish and fit is best-ever quality and right up there with the German cars. Doors shut with quiet authority and a soft thud, the boot can be "touch closed" and self-seals automatically, and there's not a squeak or rattle to be heard anywhere.

Passengers revel in excellent rear legroom and decent headroom, though the front windscreen does rake back alarmingly in the cockpit.

Oddments space is generous and Skoda steal a march on marques like BMW by crafting a beautifully engineered centre console box with a bureau-like roll-over top.

From a driving point of view, the Superb is a revelation. The turbo-diesel signature note is audible but not overly so and smooths out quickly.

Acceleration is very petrol-like, with natural engine braking and smooth delivery, with plenty of confidence-inspiring finesse in the braking.

There's big mid- and top-end response when the accelerator pedal is floored and cruising is comfortable and relaxing, with ride quality that's, well...superb.

A six-speed manual gearbox matched to a light clutch offers slick, fast changes and the steering is tight and involving. Add in excellent balance and convincing cornering and it's an excellent all-round package that's hard to fault.

And in the best Skoda tradition, there's a massive boot that tunnels in a huge way into the car, soaking up big amounts of luggage, even though the entry aperture isn't that big.

No corners have been cut, there's fine attention to detail and no expense has been spared to deliver the goods. It's no joke – this Skoda has a name you can take seriously.

Fast facts:

• Superb offers impressive levels of refinement at competitive prices.


• Superb first appeared in 1934 and then, like now, it was Skoda's flagship model.


• Offers more rear seat legroom than any other car in its class.


• Standard kit includes electric windows all round, ABS and EDL, a CD player and climate control.


• Three petrol models on offer, including a 2.0 MPI 115 bhp, 1.8 T 150 bhp (tiptronic and manual) and 2.8 V6 (tiptronic and manual). Two diesels – a 1.9 TDI 115bhp) manual and 2.0 TDI PD 140bhp.


• Four trim levels are Classic (base), Comfort, Elegance and top-of-the-range Laurin & Klement.


• Prices from £15,164-£23,332.


• UK Superb sales are predominantly diesel (more than 80 per cent).


• Optional extras include sat-nav, Sunset privacy glass, rear sunblind, cruise control and leather seats.