Imagine a car capable of averaging more than 74 miles per gallon with a diesel engine so clean you don’t have to pay any road tax and the chances are you will, at best, be imagining a small family hatchback.

If so, think again. For both facts apply to the latest 1.6-litre, 105bhp Skoda Octavia, a car so large rear seat passengers can comfortably stretch their legs out and which has a boot area so big two people could easily climb into it – along with their suitcases.

In real terms that luggage space amounts to 590 litres with the rear seats in position – enough to take four golf bags – and an enormous 1580 litres with them folded down.

If ever there was a practical car with sensible running costs this is it.

The new generation of Octavias is larger, more stylish, more streamlined and altogether head and shoulders above the car it replaces.

The build quality is better, the interior is quieter and I liked the new dashboard layout with clear, easy to read dials. There are plenty of clever storage areas for small items, including a central armrest, underseat compartments and an overhead spectacles case.

My test car had the top spec Elegance trim. which meant standard features included leather and Alcantara trim, cruise control and satellite navigation with European mapping.

Perhaps surprisingly it’s only available with a five rather than six-speed gearbox but at least that was smooth and silky in operation.

On the road the car initially feels a bit sluggish and to get any lively performance out of it you have to take the revs higher than you would normally expect with a diesel but when you do so it delivers, and will accelerate from standstill to 62mph in a very respectable 10.4 seconds.

Skoda Octavia Elegance
Skoda Octavia Elegance

The Octavia with this particular engine in it is very much at home on long motorway journeys, where you can maintain a high cruising speed without too many revs, while keeping the fuel consumption to a minimum. In other words, it’s an ideal long distance car.

And the nice thing about this car is that with careful driving you can actually achieve the 74mpg that the manufacturer claims, which is impressive.

The larger engined Octavia diesel models have more low down torque and are more punchy, but are not as frugal on fuel, cost more to buy and you will incur road tax. So it’s a matter of choice.

The latest car is packed with hi-tech gadgetry including a system which at night automatically switches between low and high beam depending upon conditions.

There is also Skoda’s Automatic Post Collision Braking System which recognises when the car has collided with something and brakes the car to stop it being propelled into the oncoming traffic. A system you hope you will never need but which is comforting to know you have on board.

Fast Facts

Model: Skoda Octavia Elegance

Price: £22,715

Mechanical: 1598cc, 4 cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 5spd manual gearbox.

Max speed: 121 mph

0-62mph: 10.4 secs

Combined mpg: 74.3

Insurance group: 14E

CO2 emissions: 99 g/km

Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles