MOTORING Superb performance, with added grip
Skoda may be renowned for producing small cars with small engines, yet with a 280PS turbocharged petrol engine, complete with 4x4, the car manufacturer’s flagship Superb is anything but. Motoring journalist Nick Jones put it through its paces.
First things first, the Superb offers a frankly ludicrous amount of car for your money. It’s bigger in the flesh than you think, and on the
inside you can immediately see the copious space it offers. Underneath, of course, it shares its platform with a raft of Volkswagen vehicles and is stretched to its absolute limit to give that ‘big car’ feel. It’s over two centimetres longer and nearly fiver centimetres wider than its predecessor. It can be driven with front and part-time all-wheel drive
and can be specified with manual or the excellent DSG twin-clutch gearbox. I’m a big fan of punchy diesel units, so one could be forgiven for purchasing a 2.0-litre TDI allied to the DSG box and enjoying infrequent stops to the petrol forecourt. Diesel, however, is stuttering at the moment, so if you don’t want the shouty vRS version, then perhaps the Sportline version (pictured) with 4x4 and 280 horses might just be the one to ponder over. All Sportline models have a vast list of key-features
as standard, like larger alloy wheels, Alcantara sports seats, drive mode selection and a rather neat gloss black rear spoiler. Naturally, further options can be added, such as the must-have dynamic chassis control and other highlights, including heated front seats, Wifi and phone box. With all that power available, naturally one selects
‘sports’ mode, which sharpens up the throttle response and firms up the dampers resulting in a firm but fair ride but a very entertaining one. The Superb’s top speed is 155 miles per hour, with 60 taking just a smidgen over five and a half seconds. That’s quick by any standards, but having that capability in a Skoda really induces a cheeky grin. It does handle well for a big car, with the larger alloys absorbing the road imperfections without you knowing about them. I also think that the weight- saving it has endured
(nearly 80kg) has made it feel light on its feet. Internally, the cavernous attention to detail is
commendable and the driving position is excellent. It does feel rather nice in here, but the parent VW’s politics have probably robbed it of feeling ‘really special’ best saved for, shall we say, Audi? Price-wise, it comfortably undercuts all of its rivals in
this sector and to me that’s a big plus-point. Verdict? I have a fast Skoda, which does everything I want it to that looks the part with nearly 40 miles to the gallon to boot. Badge snobbery, for me, has long since disappeared.
FACTFILE
MODEL Skoda Superb Sportline
PRICE OTR £34,890
PERFORMANCE Top Speed: 155 mph 0-60 mph: 5.6 seconds
CO2 EMISSIONS 160g/km
Combined MPG 39.8 mpg
68 business network March 2018
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