New Superb lives up to name
IT is not every day that you drive a car that turns heads. Only one or two a year of the cars I drive for this page have that effect.
So it was a slightly odd feeling this week when the car that was attracting all the attention in the supermarket car park was, wait for it, a Skoda.
The new Superb only arrived in the showrooms last week, and takes the model on hugely from its predeccessor in terms of development. Local dealer Ashmore Green Skoda kitted me out with the 170bhp 2-litre diesel version in Elegance trim level, and it is a truly stunning car.
For starters, it looks great. It has the presence of a big Audi, up-to-the-minute styling (albeit with a slightly plasticky grille) and the the sort of build quality you associate with a more teutonic brand.
Standard equipment in the Elegance I drove includes full leather, sat-nav, climate control, cruise control and automatic headlights, to name but a few features. Short of the kitchen sink I can't think of anything you would need to add.
It is extremely roomy, and the controls are the familiar Volkswagen-Audi Group arrangement. Skoda has finally seen sense and not repeated the mistake with the otherwise-excellent Fabia by siting the power socket somewhere silly. This one is down at the bottom of the dash, where it should be.
The car is available with a choice of three petrol and three diesel engines, from the 1.9 TDI PD 105 bhp to the impressive 3.6 V6 260 bhp 4x4 DSG. The new 2.0 TDI common rail diesel I drove with an impressive 170 bhp is available for the first time and four wheel drive and DSG gearboxes are also debuting on a number of engines.
Insurance groups start from a 6E rating on the entry level diesel and 7E on the entry level petrol, both of which are extremely low for a car of this size.
Three trim levels are available on the New Superb: S, SE and Elegance. Standard features across the range include ESP, seven airbags, front and rear electric windows, alloy wheels and ‘Twindoor,’ a unique system for variable boot opening, never seen in the industry before, which transforms the Superb from a saloon to a hatch at the touch of a button. It is incredibly clever, and like all the best ideas, brilliantly simple, which raises the obvious question: why did no one think of it before?
The downside, though, is that it makes the rear windscreen rather small, with an adverse effect on visibility out of the back.
The clever features do not stop there. Going on holiday abroad? Gone are the days of fiddling around masking the headlights with sticky tape. On this car you can change the beam at the flick of a button. Genius.
You may think that calling the car ‘Superb’ is a bit vainglorious. In fact, the same was being used on Skoda models as far back as 1934, in the pre-war era when Skoda was what we would now call a premium brand. That said, it sums up the driver’s experience completely. On the motorway, this car really does shift, swiftly and quietly. Marry the DSG auto box with the cruise control, and you have a car that will take you many motorway miles and deliver you to your destination without feeling like you have been through the wringer.
If there is a criticism, it is that the ride is slightly harsh for a car of this type. While I normally like firm suspension, a car of this type really cries out for a slightly softer ride, especially on the bumpy cart tracks we call roads in West Berkshire.
The Superb would make an excellent choice for fleet buyers but is also an excellent choice for the private buyer who wants an upmarket car for sensible money. Prices start at £15,490.
At a glance: Skoda Superb Elegance 2.0 TDI 170bhp DSG
Price: £21,180
Top speed: 136mph
0-62mph: 9 seconds
Fuel consumption: urban - 36.2mpg; extra-urban - 55.4mpg; combined - 46.3mpg
CO2 emissions: 159g/km
29/09/2008 16:07:00
|
