One hundred years ago last month William Morris started building cars in Cowley, but just under 900 miles to the east, two other former bicycle makers already had a few years’ car-making experience under their belt.

It was back in December 1895 when cycling enthusiasts mechanic Václav Laurin and bookseller Václav Klement, started making bicycles of their own design in what was then part of the Austro-Hungarian empire.

In the following years they moved into the production of motorcycles, and in 1905 they started to make cars.

Their original vehicles were cars of some considerable class and it was only lack of investment during the latter part of the 20th century, and the rapid advances made in car production across the rest of the world that led to Skoda cars becoming the butt of many a comedian’s jokes.

That sorry period in the company’s history came to the end in April 1991, when the Czech government launched a joint venture with the Volkswagen Group. The resulting two decades have seen a rapid rise in quality of design and build, culminating in the aptly-named Superb Estate.

The original Superb badge was placed on a Skoda back in the 1930s as a luxurious and elegant car designed to appeal to the world’s leaders and royalty. Its 21st-century namesake is a vast, versatile load lugger that has retained its crown as best estate car in awards given by consumer motoring website CarBuyer and has been voted Diesel Car magazine’s best estate car for the third year running.

Well-priced, cheap to run and reliable, the Superb Estate leads the way for space, quality and sheer desirability.

Rear-seat passengers are in for a treat with huge amounts of legroom, up there in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class category. It is also extremely difficult to argue with a boot that can expand from 22.3 cubic feet (633 litres) to a huge 65.8 cu ft (1,865 litres) with the back seats folded.

To further increase the appeal of the car, which was launched in 2010, a new four-wheel-drive version delivers even more grip in tricky conditions.

The Outdoor Estate neatly combines the refinement and sheer practicality of the standard estate with more assertive looks. At the heart of the car is a permanent all-wheel drive transmission, which works completely automatically, electronically shifting grip between the wheels. Despite its 4x4 capability, fuel economy is as high as 44.8mpg, while CO2 emissions are as low as 165g/km.

The test car, powered by a 170 horsepower 2.0-litre diesel engine was whisper quiet, even at speed, with a ride deliberately tuned for long-distance cruising comfort, whatever the load.

Earlier this year, Skoda celebrated producing its 15 millionth car since 1905 and its future has never looked brighter.

Auto facts Skoda Superb Estate Outdoor 2.0 TDI CR

  • Price: £27,600
  • Ins group: 22 (1-50)
  • Fuel consumption: (Combined): 44.8mpg
  • Top speed: 135mph
  • Length: 483.8cm/190.5in
  • Width: 181.7cm/71.5in
  • Luggage capacity: 22.3 cu ft (with rear seats up)
  • Fuel tank capacity: 13.2 gallons/60 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 165g/km
  • Warranty: Three years/60,000 mls