PERHAPS you’re a new parent who needs to play the ‘family man’ card, put the kids first and impress the in-laws with your sensible behaviour in opting for an understated car.

And you clearly need the extra space and practicality of a larger vehicle, with an especially humongous boot, to accommodate all the trappings that seem to accompany family life.

At the dinner table, the father-in-law even compliments you, for the first time, on making such a ‘solid’ choice in selecting the subtly good-looking Skoda Superb.

You nod, agreeably, while secretly thinking: “I’d better not tell him I’ve bought the Sportline TSI 4x4 version for nearly £35k!”

You see, the Superb has the ability to look serene and mature to the untrained eye, but it can take on a whole new persona when the time is right.

A persona that can take it from 0-60mph in less than six seconds, can propel you out of slippery corners with remarkable balance, and can leave those who thought you were a dawdling dullard wondering ‘what the heck just happened?’.

While many practical performance cars have become brash and obvious, this wolf in sheep’s clothing offers tremendous straightline performance while allowing its driver to fly under the radar.

From the outside, this 280PS machine looks almost identical to most other Superbs of the same trim.

Even the most unsubtle clue - the twin exhaust pipes - are tucked away in a manner that won’t draw too much attention.

So it’s your own personal fillip when you press the accelerator to be greeted by a 276bhp 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine, mated to a permanent four-wheel drive system and a quick-shifting DSG automatic gearbox.

While there may be differences on race tracks, the power of the Sportline doesn’t seem to differ too much from the Seat Leon Cupra or VW Golf R in real-world on-road conditions.

Not surprisingly, you have to compromise a bit when it comes to handling and driver engagement on tight and twisty roads. When cornering with urgency, there’s a noticeable amount of body roll to take into account, while the steering offers only a minimum amount of feel.

That said, there’s enough consistency in the handling to give the driver confidence to attack corners once you’re accustomed to the car’s characteristics.

The drive becomes slightly more dynamic when you engage sport mode, but still lacks out-and-out finesse when cornering.

The great thing is that, driven sensibly, the Superb Sportline can deliver some decent figures when it comes to economy.

It might not hit the official average of 39mpg, but it certainly cruised from Bradford to south Devon while only using just over half a tank of fuel, even allowing for the stop-start M5 traffic.

Inside, the Superb offers decent levels of refinement.

The electronically adjustable Alcantara sports seats provide excellent support, while the silver diamond stitching on the seats adds a bit of flamboyance.

All the main controls in the well-designed cabin are within easy reach of the driver. And the user-friendly Amundsen touchscreen sat nav, with eight-inch colour TFT screen and integrated WiFi, is a smart piece of kit.

Of course, one of the car’s unique selling points is the space inside, with front and back seat occupants enjoying oceans of head and leg room, and the boot swallowing most things a family could throw at it.

This test car came with several options fitted, including a £610 CANTON sound system, £710 dynamic chassis control, an £865 sunroof and £355 rear-view parking camera.

Add to that an array of heated aspects, including steering wheel, seats and windscreen, and you can end up with a final price that’s closer to £40k than the £34,845 you started with.

All in all, there’s no question that the Superb is a great family car, with this version providing enough performance to satisfy a driving enthusiast. In that sense, Skoda has struck a perfect balance between performance and practicality.

THE LOWDOWN

Skoda Superb Sportline TSI 4x4

PRICE: £34,845 on the road

ENGINE: 2.0-litre TSI 280PS

PERFORMANCE: 0-60 in 5.8 seconds and 155mph top speed

ECONOMY: 39.8mpg combined and 160g/km emissions

TRANSMISSION: six-speed DSG 4x4