I’m writing this review stretched out – well, more lounging really – on the back seat of this week’s subject: the Skoda Superb Estate. Even with the front seats pushed back as far as possible there’s still ample room for my size 10s because, well, this is a very, VERY, spacious car. So roomy, in fact, that I’m not sure even capitalised letters provide enough emphasis.

Boasting a vast interior isn’t enough, though, even for an estate. Buyers are demanding more from their cars – more toys and more poise – so as well as being able to swallow everything including the kitchen sink the Superb Estate will also have to offer a comfortable ride, handle well and provide all the creature comforts that we have come to expect.

There’s a wide range of petrol and diesel engines to choose from. You can opt for either manual or automatic gearboxes as well as four-wheel-drive and even a plug-in hybrid – which just happens to be where my review car derives its power – so there should be something to satisfy most requirements.

Back to the subject of space – something that is worth discussing in greater detail while I’m in here – and while passengers sitting on the outside of the rear bench fare particularly well, if you end up perched on the slightly raised central seat things aren’t quite so rose. Sitting slightly higher means that headroom is reduced and there’s a tall, and wide, central tunnel to straddle.

A basic rule of thumb is, if you’re seating three people across the rear bench, stick the shortest one in the middle. Getting in and out shouldn’t be a problem for anyone thanks to doors that open nice and wide and low sills.

The centre armrest folds down – assuming no one’s sitting there – to reveal a pair of cupholders. There’s room in either door for a 500ml bottle and map pockets on the backs of the front seats. On the rear of the central tunnel is a hinged cubby – formerly known as an ashtray – containing a 12v socket.

There’s lots of space up front as well. Only the very tallest of people – and we’re talking well on the way to seven feet I think – would find leg or headroom in short supply. It’s nice and wide, too, so there shouldn’t be any clashing of elbows.

Storage for your odds, ends, cups and bottles is plentiful with a large, air-conditioned glovebox. Cupholders and a hinged cubby beneath the steering column. The door bins, like the ones in the back, are big enough to accommodate 500ml bottles.

There are some typically thoughtful touches around the car, such as the glasses holder next to the rear-view mirror and, on SE trim and above, space in each door to stow an umbrella. Skoda does supply one. You also get a rechargeable LED torch in the boot and an ice scraper beneath the fuel-filler flap.

The rear seats are split 60/40 but do have a ski hatch which, incidentally, is useful for carrying any long and thin items not, as the same suggests, just skis. On S, SE and SE L trims you can specify a fold-flat front seat which means the car can carry loads that are the full length of the passenger space.

The boot is huge – so big, in fact, that I had to climb in to retrieve some items that had slid right up to the rear seat backs. It’s my own fault – I should have used one of the carrying hooks, or Velcro-fastening plastic dividers, to secure my shopping.

The plug-in hybrid variant I drove this week gives up some of its boot space – 510 litres to the standard car’s 660 – to the battery pack but the long, wide space is easily accessible and still has the beating of almost all the competition.

All that space would be worthless if you couldn’t get comfortable behind the wheel but, thanks the standard height-adjustable driver’s seat and steering wheel that adjusts for reach and rake no one should have any complaints. SE Technology trim and above swaps the manually adjustable seats for electric while lumbar support is included on SE and above.

The relatively slim A-pillars mean that the view out the front is very good but, while the big rear windscreen and upright C-pillars mean you can see out of the back just as easily the sheer size of the car makes manoeuvring in tight spaces a little tricky. Fortunately front and rear parking sensors are standard on SE models and above. You can also add a rear-view camera and Park Assist, which will park the car for you.

Entry-level S-trim cars are fitted with an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto onboard. Factory installed sat-nav is standard from SE Technology trim up, while Bluetooth and DAB radio are included across the range.

The visuals are crisp and sharp, the menus easy to use and the screen responds well to inputs. There are some shortcut buttons adjacent to the screen but because they’re touch-sensitive they aren’t much easier to use than the screen itself.

The quality of the car, inside and out, stands comparison with any of its competitors. In fact, in this price range, there are very few cars that can match it. It is very well put together with high-grade and tactile materials everywhere your hands or eyes might wander. Attention to detail is impressive with carpeted door bins and rubber-lined cubbies adding just adding a little more weight to the air of quality.

The dials and dashboard is clearly and logically laid out with all the major controls within easy reach. The company’s virtual cockpit is available as an option on SE L trim and above and replaces the analogue dials with a 10.3in digital display. Much like the system used by sister company Audi it is customisable and even allows you to display full-screen maps and media info.

The 1.4TSI iV 218 – the subject of this review – uses an 85kW electric motor paired with a 1.4-litre petrol engine for a combined output of 215bhp. It’s usefully quick – 0-62mph takes a reasonably quick 7.7 seconds – but also has an electric-only range of 35 miles.

My SE L trim car was equipped with the firm’s Dynamic Chassis Control which is just a fancy name for adaptive suspension. It’s optional from SE trim and lets you select one of three modes: Normal, Sport and Comfort.

In comfort mode the Superb simply wafts along so serenely that you would be forgiven for thinking you were riding – and I don’t care that it’s a cliché – on a magic carpet. Normal and Sport modes tighten everything up to a degree but in the real world they’re wasted on the Superb which serves its occupants best driven in a serene and relaxed fashion.

The Superb’s handling is safe, secure and predictable but regardless of which mode you select, it never gets anywhere near sporty. There’s plenty of grip but the steering – nice and light at low speeds but with greater weight as the pace picks up – offers little in way of feedback so there’s little connection between driver and road.

Given the focus on comfort you would rightly expect the cabin to be a place of peace and tranquillity and the Superb doesn’t disappoint. There is a little wind noise from around the edges of the windscreen and door mirrors but it’s hardly intrusive. There’s also very little noise from the engine, even under duress.

At £41,000 or thereabouts, it might seem counterintuitive to call the Superb a bargain but, even at this price it represents excellent value for money. No other car in this class comes close to challenging it in terms of passenger or luggage space and it is peerless in the way it cossets and comforts its passengers. Build quality is excellent too.

That comfortable ride does come at a price, however, and if you enjoy driving thrills there are better options available. The automatic transmission can lurch a little in stop-start traffic but those are minor quibbles about what is, overall, a hugely impressive package.

Skoda Superb Estate iV SE L 1.4TSi 218PS DSG

Engine: 1.4 TSi (156PS)

Motor: 85kW (115PS)

Max power: 218PS

Transmission: 6-speed DSG

Max speed: 138mph

0-62mph: 7.8sec

Fuel consumption (mpg) weighted combined: 201.8 – 148.7

Emissions (CO2) NEDC equivalent: 33-42g/km

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For more information visit www.skoda.co.uk