I tried the train service marketed as a "higher-quality express."

This is what Czech Railways uses to differentiate between express trains — specifically between refurbished carriages used on express services and new, modern units. First of all, in terms of appearance it's no comparison. The train unit wins hands down. When it comes to speed I can't say whether classic express trains also run at 160 km/h on the corridor (only from Prague to Česká Třebová — after that the speed drops heading towards Brno), but the unit does. Something many passengers in the Czech Republic aren't used to is the layout — the unit has no compartments but instead uses an aircraft-style format: seats in rows or facing each other with a table. WiFi and air conditioning are standard. What strikes me as unfortunate is the division between sections of the unit — fair enough, the accordion connector has to be there, but it doesn't need to be visible, and surely sliding doors could be fitted to contain the noise. I have similar mixed feelings about the few steps scattered through the train. Part of the carriage is low-floor, then come steps, then low-floor again, then steps again…

For inspiration on how to do it right you don't need to look far — just look at the ICE. That's of course a unit in a completely different quality league, where the separation between sections is excellent.

Overall I have a good impression of the InterPanter unit — I'd describe it as a developmental step towards something that will truly be a low-floor, fast, and comfortable train of the 21st century.