Skoda Roomster 1.4TDI 80bhp - Diesel Road test

Skoda Roomster 1.4TDI 80bhp

Here's my handy tip for car builders. Save millions on developing a compact MPV: simply take a tin opener to a commercial van, cut in some rear windows, bung a few seats in the back and job done - instant family car.

The tip works well for Renault, with the Kangoo, Citroen, with the Berlingo and Peugeot, with the Partner Combi. The van-come-car is cheap and cheerful - even if the generous posterior has strong hints of Postman Pat.

And that's what makes this all-new Skoda Roomster a Godsend. If any car maker was going to take the van option, you might expect Volkswagen's Eastern cousins to do it with gusto. Instead, the new Roomster, which goes on sale this September, is a perky little design that's new from the tarmac up - without even a hint of van in its DNA.

That's not to say the Roomster will grace the cover of Vogue. Like Renault and Citroen's rivals, it has a clearly defined 'living' area in the back and a distinct 'driving' zone in the front, so it does look a little snail-like in profile. To break up the lines, the bottom edges of the side windows are deliberately misaligned. And then there's the nose - more of a schnozz really, while the rear light clusters are recycled from a fairground. Somehow though, in the flesh, it' cute and has a quality that' increasingly rare in today' world of globally shared designs: character.

Once you get beyond the 'hat is it?'stage, some pleasant surprises await. First up is the quality. Forget any haunting fears of Eastern-bloc bodges, the squeak and rumble-free Roomster got a fit and finish that' up there with the best. Check the paintwork and the precise panel gaps and, inside, the soft-touch plastic on the fascia and the super-neat instrument dials.

Above all, the Roomster is intended as a miniature mobile home. Clever rear design allows you to convert the centre seat into a table, remove it, or remove all the seats entirely for a van-like load space big enough for three mountain bikes. While all the seats can be slid forwards, the two main seats can also slide inwards, for extra side storage. In the standard setting you'l find acres of leg and head room (the wheelbase being longer than Skoda' Octavia saloon) and the seats are perched high for a decent surrounding view. Behind them, there' a commendable 530 litres of storage space under the variable-height load cover.