If one were to name a contender for the title of 'Most Surprising Car', the Skoda Superb 2.8 V6 would get more than a few votes. Yes, it's true that there aren't too many people who now associate Skoda with rear engined rattlers but who would expect the Superb 2.8 V6 to be this good? Not many. It's a bit of an eye opener and one that may well have a certain historical significance.

Skoda, you see, is but one brand subsumed into the enormous machine that is the Volkswagen Group. Back in the Nineties, under the auspices of Chairman Dr Ferdinand Piech, Volkswagen went into a ferociously acquisitive phase the like of which we shall probably never see again. As SEAT, Skoda, Audi, Lamborghini, Bugatti and Bentley all came under the VW Group banner, it was inevitable that there would be a proliferation and overlap of models. So we've had Audis that compete with SEATs, Volkswagens sports designs that looked like Lamborghinis and of course Skodas like this one aimed at boardroom buyers who would normally be considering one of the group's more prestigious marques.

Opinion, both inside and outside of Germany, is divided on whether this is actually a good thing but you can't really argue with the quality of the cars involved. The Skoda Superb, for example, is a car that will shock converts to the brand, based on a stretched mkV VW Passat chassis that Volkswagen had originally engineered for the Chinese market. We probably won't see its like again, but even if we do, the eventual replacement certainly won't have an engine as large as the 2.8-litre V6 featured here. Something of a future museum piece then.

Not that many Superb customers will ever get to experience it. Skoda reckons that nine out of every ten UK customers for this model will opt for one of the 2.0-litre petrol or the TDI versions. Which is not to say that the flagship model should be ignored.

"The 2.8-litre V6 Elegance model that we examine here represents the pinnacle of the range, the most Superb, if you will?"

For £21,395, the Superb V6 2.8 30v provides most of the same recipe once offered by the £30,000 mkV VW Passat W8, but with more space. Its 193bhp unit develops an impressive 206 Ib/ft of torque and is of course the largest Superb engine on offer - or at least it will be until someone gets round to sticking the W8's 4.0-litre capacity under the bonnet. But why would you want to when this one makes sixty in 8.0s on the way to 147mph? A bit of a downside is the fuel consumption: you'll struggle to average much more than about 28mpg.

The latest models feature a redesigned radiator grille, updated to give it a more 3-dimensional look. The turn indicators have been integrated into the wing mirrors and the front indicators have been combined with the headlamps. Similar to those of the ?koda Roomster and the Octavia, the tail lights are C-shaped, giving the Superb rear view a more distinct character. Inside, there's a redesigned dashboard configuration on all trim levels and the instruments clusters are backlit with very gentle white light.

As with the mkV Passat, you shouldn't expect a particularly involving driving experience. Still, most buyers will find the ride to be truly excellent thanks to Skoda's careful tweaking of the four-link strut and torsion beam suspension. It's certainly difficult to imagine anyone getting out of shape in one, particularly as ESP Electronic Stability Control is standard. You're never likely to need it though: this is not an involving driver's car.

Never mind: the inviting cabin makes up for much. As you might expect, most of the extra 95mm of space offered over the standard mkV Passat design has been donated towards the cause of extra legroom - and it makes lots of difference. Sadly, the boot capacity is no different to an ordinary Passat's (462 litres) but you can at least extend it by using the easily-to-operate split-folding rear seats. It's even possible to fold the front passenger's seat flat for particularly long items.

For the drivers it's all very plush, thanks to a multi-function leather-coated steering wheel that adjusts for both rake and reach. Two trim levels are offered with the 2.8-litre V6 engine -Elegance and range-topping Laurin & Klement. With the Elegance, as well as electric windows, sat nav, leather, air conditioning and a trip computer, you'll find xenon headlamps, a premium CD stereo system, rain-sensing wipers, climate-controlled air conditioning, 17" alloy wheels and electric seats with a memory function. Named after the company's founders, the Superb L&K includes 17" alloy wheels, dual exhaust and special badging. The vehicle's interior includes leather seats, wood trim and sleek metal-finished frames on ventilation outlets and door handles.

It may represent an evolutionary blind alley, but the Skoda Superb 2.8 V6 is, by any objective analysis, a quite superb car. In doing exactly what it says on the tin for a price that reads like a misprint, Skoda should be applauded. Smoother than many Mercs, the Superb 2.8 V6 represents a triumph of corporate ambition over pragmatism but when the result is this good who cares? Dr Piech, wherever you are, we salute you.