THEY'RE not fools at Skoda. You only have to take a look at how its cars have won awards recently to realise that the management has got things right ever since it became part of the VW organisation ten years ago.

So they presumably knew what they were doing when they decided, against all odds, to create a posh car which would have to challenge the likes of Audi and even BMW and with an arrogance that ignored all critics, call it the Superb.

The background is that from 1934 to 1949, Skoda built a huge car (at 17ft long, the size of today's stretch limos) with a glass partition between the driver and the posh Czechs riding in the back. Understandably, it was called the Superb.

Today's Superb goes on sale on May 27 starting at £14,200, and rising to over £24,000. Did you ever expect to find a price tag like that on a Skoda?

But why not? Here is a Volkswagen in all but name. Its looks match the best of German executive cars mostly the VW Passat, though it has a stretched floor used for the little-known Santana, and it even rivals the Audi A6.

The Superb, of course, is less expensive, mainly because it's so much cheaper to produce cars in Czechoslovakia. It has nevertheless won praise from some of the most hard-hearted of motoring journalists.

When Skoda invited us to put it to the test, they settled for a down-to-earth attitude. A few days before Renault showed off its two smart new executive cars (Vel Satis and Avantime) in the glitzy surroundings of Monte Carlo, Skoda invited us to an old airfield near Bedford, and didn't even offer us an overnight stay.

No bribery here, then; they were quite happy to let the car do the persuasion.

So I can tell you that the Superb really is as good as a Mondeo or a Vectra (a new model arrives this summer). Or a Passat.

For £14,200 you start with a 115bhp 2.0-litre car filled with all the nice ideas you might not expect for this price; not just remote locking and electric windows (all round) and mirrors (heated too), but electronically adjustable front seats with a memory for the driver's seat, a sound system including CD, and electric sunroof.

Sunroof? I'm not sure what the weather's like in Czechoslovakia, but the Superb is aware of rainy days, so there's an umbrella holder in the rear door which drains to the outside. Is this a first?

A 'coming home' feature brings the dipped headlights on when the doors are unlocked and they stay on for 30 seconds after they're closed.

Details, like the quality of the plastics, are better than you'd find on Skoda's Fabia or Octavia.

In the £10,000 span between entry level and top model, the range covers a 1.8-litre 20V turbo which delivers 150bhp and 34mpg; and the ultimate 2.8-litre 193bhp petrol V6. Skoda statistics list 147mph, 0-62mph in only 8 seconds, and 28mpg.

There's also a V6 2.6-litre diesel offering 155bhp and 40mpg, and two more diesels on the way.

Trim levels are many, with a menu which calls them Comfort, Classic and Elegance (shades of Mercedes?).

The warranty lasts three years up to 60,000 miles, 10 years anti-rust, and three years roadside assistance. P.R.