Not be one of the most beautiful or elegant cars on the road but, as the name suggests, it is one of the most spacious.

It doesn’t just have space though, it has very versatile space. If you want to carry passengers in the rear, then there is lots of space for them to stretch out their legs, along with reasonable luggage space. If additional luggage carrying capacity is required the seats slide out of the way to create a generously spacious compartment. There are three completely independent rear seats and each can be operated individually, so you can mix and match your passengers and luggage carrying capacity as you wish.

The Skoda Roomster falls nicely into the ‘motors designed for families’ range but will also offer something that is a little different from the usual family saloon.

Engine wise there are three petrol and three diesel engines to choose from. The petrol engine range includes a three cylinder 70 bhp, 1.2 litre engine which will deliver 43 mpg in town, a 1.4 litre 85 bhp unit, and a 1.6 litre 105 bhp unit. Diesel choices include a 70 bhp 1.4 TDI, the same engine tuned to 80 bhp, and a 1.8 litre TDI.

Despite a high body line, the car handles well on bendy roads and the body roll is considerably less than might be anticipated. The seats are very supportive for this class of motor and really the only criticism is that air conditioning does not come as standard.

The car is very economical to drive, especially the three cylinder model. Emissions are also very low and start as low as band B which means that you pay very little road tax.

Although by no means a performance car, it feels stable and safe to drive; fundamentally it is an ideal family car.