Theres a feature on the new Roomster in todays new What Car? magazine (it's even on the front cover!)

They haven't driven it yet but seem to rate it so far, they think it will become a "cult Skoda"

They reckon the 1.9TDI will be pick of the bunch.

I diddnt like the styling until it was explained by the annoying beardy guy on 5th gear. But surely car styling that has to be explained is a bad thing?

why is it a bad thing? if people dont understand design, and appreciate it. you gotta be told about it- to look at the unique features. its like looking at a painting ok its a painting but theres alot of meaning in some paintings you dont see until some one explains. same with all things.

review from whatcar:

Skoda's first MPV, the Roomster, will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show at the end of February.

Sales in mainland Europe begin in summer, and right-hand-drive versions are scheduled to follow in October.

The Roomster is a compact five-seater designed to slot between the Czech company's Fabia and Octavia hatchbacks. However, it has the passenger and luggage space of the larger Octavia mainly due to its high roofline.

Its design remains faithful to the Roomster concept car (pictured), which wowed visitors to the Frankfurt Auto Show in autumn 2003. Only the roofline and rear side doors and windows have changed substantially.

Skoda looked at fitting sliding rear side doors (the concept car had just one), but decided against the idea, arguing that they are heavy and difficult to open from the inside.

Roomster is the first sign of a more confident Skoda, asserting its own personality while using Volkswagen Group parts. The new car is not related to anything else within the VW, Audi or Seat ranges.

The engines, gearboxes and front suspension assembly come largely from the Fabia, with some Octavia components. The rear suspension is from the last Octavia, which means a simple beam axle

and for people who wish to read this design review of the roomster....

Mar 22, 2006 – Two and a half years ago Car Design News published a Design Development story on the Skoda Roomster concept that debuted at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. We described that car then as an “exquisitely designed Utility MPV that was a breath of fresh air”. With the production Roomster debuting at the Geneva motor show and closely following the theme of its concept forbearer, the question now is can this design be similarly described?

Before answering this, there are two important contextual elements to the Roomster that should be understood.

The first is that conceptually it is a Utility MPV; a lesser known class of vehicle in Europe that was first defined by the Renault Kangoo as recently as 1997. Born of the small commercial van, that in turn was mostly based on European B-sector small cars, the Utility MPV sells to two profiles of user: the private user who wants a spacious and cheap vehicle often as a cheap or second family car, and the small business user who needs the car for both commercial and private usage.

This last profile of customer is prevalent in Skoda's native Czech Republic (as they are also in the Kangoo's French market).

The second contextual element is that Skoda has never been an innovative brand. For years its unique rear engine cars were as old fashioned as most other eastern European cars, whilst in recent times its products have been little more than cheaper, more staid equivalents of the designs from its parent brand Volkswagen.

Based on a modified version of the Fabia platform, the first impression of the Roomster from the front is of a confident design with a distinct and attractive Down-Road-Graphic, a surefooted stance and well integrated features. Aft of the front, the cohesion and consistency of form and feature line continues, with every element of the exterior connecting to underpin the whole design and lend the car an air of quality. The feature line that runs across the front aspect of the car at the top of the grille dips to accommodate the logo and spears outwards through the lamps into the front wings, softening as it bleeds down the side and into the base of the rear side window's lower edge, that in turn sits distinctively at a lower level to that of the front side window. Below this there is a clean body side (bar a slightly fussy diving rocker swage) and above it to the rear is a unique rear side DLO that bulges upwards into the tall roof line. Forward of this is the front half of the side DLO that dynamically sweeps back from the windshield up into the body colour B-pillar, and is capped by a strong horizontal upper line that leads back also from the windshield.

Only at the rear of the car does the design start to give up on its concept name sake's fresh design solutions: the tailgate is quite conventional (the concept's was all glass) and a panel below the window makes an uncomfortable transition from one surface to another. Also, the rear lights fail to connect with the surrounding design elements even if they do have the strong Skoda rear light graphic when illuminated.

The Roomster's exterior otherwise remains faithful to the concept car in theme, with only its long tall proportions, visually small wheels (in part due to the body side design that eschews prominent wheel arch lips) and less taut surfacing distancing it from the poised original.

Inside the production car differs more from the original concept and relative to the exterior it disappoints; it is very conventional.

But it does have some innovative features, an attractive Volkswagen-esque aesthetic and is eminently practical. The most obvious of its innovative features are rear seats that split, fold and slide; can be taken out, and have the option of moving the full size outermost two seats together when the smaller center seat section is removed. At the front of the car are very generous door bins, a double passenger side glovebox and a spacious centre console storage area. These functional features combine with an exceptionally spacious cabin to provide one of the most accommodating cars on the market. And whilst the form is quite conservative, it is handsomely resolved – in particular the subtly recessed door inners with neatly integrated door handle loops with an anodised aluminium finish.

But it is behind the specific aesthetic themes and the execution of these where the production Roomster design lays claim to being a “breath of fresh air”. It's design throws off the residual commercial vehicle semantics that the first generation of Utility MPVs still have traces of, bringing an unpretentious subtle sophistication to the class. And through this innovative aesthetic and the interplay of the two strong design identity elements; dynamism and space – as exemplified most simply by the two elements of the DLO, it distances itself from the passively conservative design identities of all other current Skodas. Relative to other Utility MPVs and Skodas, the Roomster is irrefutably of another generation, moving both its class and brand forwards with a new conceptual and aesthetic design respectively.

Two and a half years ago we wrote: "The Roomster concept car ushers in a new era for a previously unassuming brand. It's distinctive and attractive design shows how more progressive and emotive values can truly embrace the central functionalist values of Skoda to give greater appeal to the brand. And if it translates to a production design as it surely must, then there seems ever reason to suppose that people will start buying Skodas with their hearts as well as their heads!"

We stand by our words; the production Roomster is the breath of fresh air that Skoda need and that the market will embrace.

DLO- Daylight openining (windows)

Source - Cardesignnews.com

www.cardesignnews.com

Video- http://www.skoda-auto.com/global/showroom/roomster/gallery/video/

I love it after a closer look at Stockholm motor show.

"headlightsIn addition to the main halogen lights, the Roomster also offers the option of differently designed projection headlights with an H7 halogen bulb and the optical system used in xenon headlights (projection through a lens).

From a safety point of view, headlights with an active turning system are an alternative to projection headlights. From a speed of 3 km/h the headlights turn in the same direction as the car up to an angle of 15°.

Fog lights with cornering functionality. The active fog light system with cornering functionality knows when you are going to turn ( with a speed up to 40km/h) and will slowly shine a fog light in the direction you are manoeuvring; it can light up the road from an angle of -30 to +60° (horizontally) and from 0° to 10° (vertically)!

Turning is therefore safer; in particular there is less chance of you hitting darkened objects, such as parked vehicles, pedestrians or cyclists. After you complete the turn, the light slowly goes out."

http://www.skoda-auto.com/global/showroom/roomster/homepage/homepage.htm

http://www.auto.cz/videa/stream.php?stream=360

They reckon the 1.9TDI will be pick of the bunch.

Yes - but a 150bhp vRS would be better...

Autocar have a quick test of it here

http://www.autocar.co.uk/FirstDrive_Summary.asp?RT=220136

Shame it's only a 105 diesel. I actually really like it and would be tempted, but it is expensive.

I like it....needs bigger wheels though.

It's also a bit more expensive than I thought it would be....Autocar did a test drive for this weeks issue and said it's very good....but again a little too expensive. They put the price down to Skoda wanting to get away from being seen as a budget brand...."value pricing" in Skoda speak apparently.

£13-13.5k for the 1.9 TDi (105 bhp) top of the range would have been a very good price.....I'm sure though, once it's on sale the internet sellers will get the price down.

Wonder if a 1.8T would fit?

I read the Autocar review in the magazine too and would disagree that it's overpriced. Seems to fit in just between the Fabia and Octavia, just like the cars size.

Shouldn't forget the top of the range cars have quite a bit of kit that you probably don't get on the "vans" like the Berlingo e.t.c. The top spec 1.6 petrol is quite a decent price too.

They're doing a Sport model in the Czech Republic with sunset glass, 16" alloys and part leather interior, looks good but not sure we'll get it here in the UK. http://www.skoda-auto.com/cze/

4Car love it too: http://www.channel4.com/4car/road-tests/road-test.jsp?id=682

I really think the Roomster will be a top seller and the concept Yeti would definitely be a hit - judging by the requests by customers to see them.

As for pricing, we may have been perceived as a budget brand, but we're not...............quality, residual values, JD power speak volumes for the product - Skodas don't need to be cheap for people to buy!

I really like the Roomster. If only they had more power!

As for pricing, we may have been perceived as a budget brand, but we're not...............quality, residual values, JD power speak volumes for the product - Skodas don't need to be cheap for people to buy!

I started buying Skoda because it was a good quality product being sold cheaply, and l know lots of others were the same, more car for the money. But if Skoda prices keep getting closer to other main-stream cars, then l am going to start looking at what other cars I can get for the same money. Skoda had the motto of more car for your money, before to long we will not be getting all that much "more"