Bobbed into the local dealers this morning and took an FR five door diesel out for a short spin - could have done with a longer drive but first impressions were good, more the car I wanted compared to the new Octavia.

It had the same 150bhp engine and it seemed to pull far better than the Octavia.

Same 'modes' for driving, i.e sport, Eco etc - didn't really notice much difference when applying a different mode.

Comfortable yet supportive seats.

Interior dash layout good, with speedo numbers at different position (e.g. 30mph just after half past clock position) so taller drivers like me can adjust the wheel and still see the speedo at the most frequently used speeds.

Handled the bumps and undulations well, with firm but not harsh damping.

Only real negative were the price (albeit Drivethedeal or Car File would make more sense) and the seat belt roller in the door pillar - this is NOT adjustable so the taller driver's may not feel as secure - the belt just about managed to go over my shoulder - not sure about the safety of this!

Nice, I'm interested in test driving one of those. Waiting for the 180bhp version to be released. Was told it would be at local dealers in 4-6 weeks