27: Skoda Kodiaq – pre-ordained SUV success story

If ever a car can be said to have had a pre-ordained success, then it’s the Skoda Kodiaq.

With the car market tilting in the direction of SUVs as if a very fat man has just stepped onto a bouncy castle, and the Skoda brand's trajectory in Ireland being analogous to that of an Apollo moon mission, there was no doubting that people were going to be keen on the big seven-seater.

And so it has proved, to the point where Skoda dealers are occasionally struggling for stock. The thing is, it’s quite an ordinary car.

It’s big and roomy, and yes you can have seven seats (for an extra €1,000 mind, when Peugeot’s 5008 gives you them as standard), it’s well-made, and drives very nicely, if rather unexceptionally.

28: Volvo XC90 – the frontline in the reinvention of the Swede

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29: Ford Fiesta – Hard to notice the revamp but still very, very good to drive

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30: Hyundai Tucson – Ireland’s best-selling car eclipses traditiona saloons and hatchbacks

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31: Lexus GS – one of the consistently satisfying big executive cars around

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It’s also a touch bland at which to look. The thing is, though, that ultimately it’s a very satisfying car, one that does that classic Skoda thing of being very hard to give up once you’ve tried it out. Diesel models rather pricey, so maybe go for the excellent 1.4 TSI petrol 150hp instead.

Best model: 1.4 TSI 150hp Ambition

Prices start from: €28,795

Finance package from: €369

CO2 emissions: 139-150g/km

Sum-up: Dead-cert success. Deservedly so.