RAY MASSEY: Skoda’s crowning glory is L&K 4×4 Estate

The top-of-the-range Skoda Superb L&K 4×4 Estate I drove recently certainly has a regal feel to it – enhanced by the special Royal Green metallic paint created for the coronation of Charles III.

The L&K stands for Laurin & Klement, the Czech manufacturer of cars, motorcycles and bicycles founded in 1895 and then acquired by the conglomerate Skoda Works in 1925 and renamed Skoda Auto.

The lion’s share of the ‘extras’ on my car, which pushed the final price from £46,590 to £49,480, came from paint (£1,045) and the almost full panoramic sunroof (£1,330) which lets in light when closed, and made when retracted condition fine driving in the open air possible.

Packed with technology and safety kit, this is a striking and sleek vehicle. For a long journey of 700 miles north and back it proved to be the perfect companion.

Riding on 18in Propus alloys with anti-theft bolts, the top-of-the-line model is powered by a 280PS 2-litre TSI petrol engine mated to a 7-speed DSG transmission with all-wheel drive, accelerating from standstill to 100km/h in a buoyant 5 .3 seconds, with a limited top speed of 155 mph.

The blind spot detection system was great at recognizing other cars approaching from behind on fast highways – and especially cyclists in cities. You can choose how much to ‘babysit’ thanks to speed limit warnings and driver fatigue sensors.

The huge 660-litre luggage compartment with an electrically operated hatchback provides ample space for luggage and gear. And that grows to 1,950 liters with the rear seats folded. Lots of storage compartments too.

The uncluttered dashboard and 9.2in central display with touchscreen is easy to navigate, despite some navigation glitches.

Although painted green, it’s not the greenest car, with average fuel consumption of 34.7mpg and CO2 emissions between 188 and 199g/km.

The Estate range starts from £32,605 for the base SE model (£31,325 for the hatchback).

The L&K range starts from £42,340.

The Skoda Superb L&K has a real presence and is both a practical rural casual outside in a rural landscape, and with its dark privacy glass it looks suitably business in the city.

This beautiful, eye-catching, long, low-slung streamlined car with a dominant grille and smart, refined styling attracted many admiring glances on my travels, with people even stopping to ask me about it when I parked.

From the driver’s seat it’s comfortable, relaxing and appropriately long-legged on motorways, while also offering snappy, lively fun on winding country lanes, with plenty of power and drive coming into play when needed, and gripping dynamic chassis control to help keep you planted.

If you want a little more involvement, there are manual override paddles on the steering wheel for even greater driver involvement, although I was chilled enough to stick to auto mostly.

However, since I mainly drove in Sport mode (there’s also Eco, Comfort, Normal and Individual), mine wasn’t the most environmentally friendly ride.

Other features include power front seats with memory and lumbar support, which comes in handy when you’re on an epic ride like mine.

Is it the best Skoda ever? It must be up there. But at £50,000 it’s a far cry from Skoda’s budget roots.

The original Skoda Superb first appeared in the 1930s, when Skodas of that name were produced between 1934 and 1949.

After post-war years under Russian communist control, a reborn Skoda resurfaced two years after the fall of the Berlin Wall when it was taken over in 1991 by German giant Volkswagen Group as a budget arm. But there’s nothing budgetary about this top-of-the-line Superb.

In the aftermath of the post-Communist ‘Velvet Revolution’ in the Czech Republic, more than 1.55 million ‘modern era’ Superbs have been sold in three generations.

Skoda’s latest ‘royal’ flourish in honor of King Charles III also comes as a new fourth-generation Superb is unveiled in August ahead of sales next year to celebrate 90 years since its historic predecessor was introduced.

Our new King’s ties to the Czech Republic also go back a long way and he has visited several times in his role as Prince of Wales. In the early 1990s, he established a heritage fund with then-President Václav Havel to help restore and preserve the country’s historic buildings.

New Lotus hypercar kit for UK

Legendary Lotus’s new ‘family-friendly’ Eletre electric SUV hypercar is about to hit the road in Britain, priced from £89,500 with first deliveries in the UK later this summer.

The powerful, performance-focused 905PS Eletre R, priced from £120,000, accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in just 2.95 seconds, making it the world’s fastest twin-motor pure electric SUV, with a range of 500 km and a top speed of 165 mph.

Two other versions are available: the base level (from £89,500) and the mid-range S (from £104,500), both with less than 603bhp and a top speed of 160 mph, but with an extended range of up to 373 miles.

With twin electric motors, Eletre is Lotus’ first four-wheel drive road car.

Fast charging to 80 percent takes 20 minutes and provides a range of 120 kilometers in just five minutes.