Yes we're talking ROOM here, for this is the Czech manufacturer's highly individual take on the MPV - the car genre which aims to offer good passenger and load-carrying capablility, and extra versatility over saloons, estates and hatchbacks.
It's an increasingly competitive market. Most manufacturers offer medium and compact MPVs {hellip} but none of them look quite like the Roomster.
Before I took delivery of a test car for the week, I read one of my esteemed motoring press colleagues suggesting that the car had been "touched with the ugly stick". Well, sorry, I'm having none of it. The Roomster is individualistic in looks, and all the better for it. It's a breath of fresh air, an antidote to bland follow-my-leader styling, where one maker's motor barely seems to differ in appearance from another's.
The bold lines are a cheering indication of growing confidence from a car maker that is going from strength to strength, even though its image - in Britain at least - still seems to be suffering from the years of stifling Communist influence.
The Roomster is a departure from the fairly conservative styling of new-era Skodas. Different, maybe {hellip} but ugly, no.
The concept is based on the idea of the car being in two sections, a dynamic "driving room" and a practical "living room" which aims to deliver as much interior space as a conventional MPV in a package with a wheelbase only 39mm longer than Skoda's Octavia.
Conventional
The "driving room" is very much a conventional set-up. But the real ace up Skoda's sleeve is the "living room".
With large side windows, a rear seat set higher than the front ones and an innovative seating system, known as Varioflex, the car offers acres of space and flexibility.
The higher rear seat is a boon for passengers, who have a chance to see over the heads of those in front and through the large windscreen. The extra-deep side windows and the optional panoramic roof (standard on one of the models) help make the interior seem light and airy.
I decided to put the "room" qualities to the test by heading for our local auctioneers' with a sizeable piece of furniture (after overdosing on Flog It!) and used the folding seat system, which allowed me to slide in a tall corner cabinet easily and still have the capacity to accommodate myself and three passengers, if need be.
The cabinet sold, by the way, and I became more and more sold on the Roomster as the week went on. I've driven Renault Kangoos and Citroen Berlingos and, at first, thought the Roomster would be quite like them. But Skoda's offering felt far more car-like in handling and turned out to have a real turn of speed, with its 1.9-litre turbo-charged diesel engine.
It's not the quietest diesel I've sampled at tick-over and low speeds, although it really quietens down as the pace picks up. It packs a torquey punch and certainly makes for easy, economical motorway cruising. For a car with a high roofline, there's a notable lack of wind noise, while road noise is minimal, too.
The driving experience was positive, with good feedback from the power steering and a taut feel when pushed in cornering, not something you get with most MPVs. Instruments are clear and well-placed in an unfussy, coherent dashboard, while the gearchange is easy and brakes assuring. Interior trim is well-put together and looks hard wearing. The fabrics are of high quality, and fit and finish is top notch. The same can be said of the body panels, with finishing of a standard to make many more-exalted manufacturers envious.
Equipment levels are impressive, including airbags aplenty, air con, CD player, input for MP3 player and a centre console with 12volt outlet, cup holder and storage box.
As for the styling, I reckon it gets full marks for individuality, and those never-bland lines package a practicality and versatility that marks the driver out as a savvy motorist.
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