| First Drive | Oxfordshire, England | Skoda Superb Greenline II |

Along with the rest of its range, Skoda has waved a green wand over the Superb hatchback and estate, to create the cleanest versions yet.

In the Metal

The Greenline II model is all but the same as the existing Superb, save for one or two changes on the outside: it sits 15mm lower than the standard car to improve airflow, features Greenline badges, low rolling resistance tyres and a subtle boot spoiler on the back. Inside, it's just as robust and well built as ever - check out our recent review of the Superb Estate for the full lowdown on the standard car.

What you get for your Money

Ever the class-topper when it comes to price, the Skoda Superb Greenline II starts at £18,685 in S trim as a hatchback and tops out at £22,780 for the Elegance model. The estate costs £19,790 in its most basic guise and £24,040 in its most expensive. Whatever way you look at it, that's not expensive, and it puts much larger, less comfortable or luxurious cars to shame.

As for equipment, the Superb has always been well decked out, and the Greenline II version has exactly the same amount of luxuries as the standard cars do on S, SE and Elegance trim respectively - which is plenty.

Driving it

As with the other Greenline II Skodas that we tested this week, we didn't find any real surprises in the Superb. The latest version is just as predictable, sure-footed and thoroughly comfortable as those that came before it.

A 1.6-litre TDI engine with 104bhp might sound like small potatoes in such a large car, but it's just enough for the big Czech. Lengthier gearing means you can leave the gearbox alone for the most part (we managed to sprint from 30- to 70mph in third gear with revs left to spare) and the stop-start system does its job as well as any other.

Worth Noting

This could be the most affordable way to transport a large amount of gear around. The Skoda Superb Estate has the second largest boot of any car in its class at 1,865 litres (the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate has the biggest). The big Skoda offers 64.2mpg and emissions of 114g/km, which you have to doff your cap to.

Summary

We were big fans of the Skoda Superb as it was and, while the new Greenline II version doesn't necessarily make it any more desirable, it's a lot kinder to your wallet and the planet. The 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine has just enough punch for the Superb, but it really is cheap to run and will no doubt prove popular with family buyers and company car folk alike.