SKODA SUPERB

This is the rather unusual and awkward looking Skoda Superb. Potentially set for local launch towards the end of the year, the Superb will rival fellow VW stablemate the Passat, and the Volvo S40, Renault Laguna, and Saab 9-3, amongst others. Like it's smaller Octavia and Roomster brothers, the Superb is based on a heavily modified VW chassis. This time it's underpinnings are from the Passat, so fundamentally you'll get the same dependable, yet rather staid, dynamics and top-notch engineering quality as you do with the Volkswagen. And again, you'll get it a little bit cheaper than you do down the road at VW. All sounds rather tempting for anyone looking for a premium family saloon. The thing is, though, that you'll either love or loath it's looks...

From the front the Superb features the familiar Skoda snout seen on the Roomster. No bad thing, as it's as distinctive as it is appealing. The chrome grill and bonnet creases add some sophistication that elevates the Superb above mainstream rivals like the Mazda 6 or anything from Subaru and Honda. It's the rear, and in particular, the c pillar, where things get rather weird though . The rear window line is quite vertical and doesn't sit right with the steeply racked windscreen in profile. Not only that, but the tail lights seem bloated and enlarged, ruining the subtle traits elsewhere on the car. The boot lid may have something to do with this unusual stance. Not sure whether to create a hatchback or a sedan, Skoda have created something in between. The boot is in two pieces, so you can either open just the boot lid itself, or the boot and the rear window, much like a hatchback. Skoda claim this gives the Superb the versatility of both a sedan and a hatch, but it all sounds a little bit daft from here, especially when it's ended up looking like this. One thing you can't argue with, though, is that the near-vertical rear window has created acres of rear headroom. One aspect that might sway a hell of a lot of families and fleet buyers.

Love it or not, you don't buy something like a Skoda to get lost in the pack. Giving credit where credit's due, they've certainly stood apart from the crowd here.