LACK of extraneous noise is one of the more endearing features of the Superb, Skoda's contender in the upper-medium business car market.

For a model with a lusty turbodiesel engine under its bonnet, the big saloon from the Czech Republic has a surprisingly demure nature, irrespective of the way it is being used during its term with Fleet News.

So it was something of a shock to discover our long-term test model can create a heck of a racket when circumstances dictate.

It happened when the car's alarm system was triggered by an electronic malfunction. As in most breakdown situations, Murphy's Law ensured that this would cause maximum inconvenience, even though the Superb happened to be parked on my driveway.

The dead of night – 2am on a Sunday – is not the best time for an unscheduled alarm call, and the Skoda's strident calls for attention proved effective to an embarrassing degree, waking everyone within 500 yards of the Glover household. Worse still, it took ages to find the key fob so the siren could be quelled by unlocking and then re-locking the car via the remote control.

But the neighbours' curtains were being pulled back again precisely two hours later when the wailing started for a second time.

And to add insult to injury, the piercing sound returned yet again at 5am. Small wonder the neighbours were less than friendly next day. According to the experts, the culprit turned out to be nothing more serious than a short circuit and I'm happy to report that the alarm system has since allowed us, and everyone else, the bliss of uninterrupted sleep.

It's also back to business as usual for our Comfort TDI 130 PD, a model that surprises in the amount of luxury equipment it offers and delights in its blend of performance and running economy. This is an impressive compromise by any yardstick but more about this next time.