The New Skoda Superb

REVIEW

 

Giving a car the name Superb was probably a monstrous act of self aggrandisement even back in the 1930s when Skoda first used it, despite the Czech firm having a considerable reputation as a maker of fine motors back then.

More recently we have seen the fall of the brand during the communist era, followed by its inexorable rise under Volkswagen ownership. But Skoda wants to be seen as more than just a budget VW, and the latest Superb could be the car to ensure that.

Underneath, it might be little more than a stretched VW Passat. But on top it borrows heavily from the rather lovely Vision C concept, which Skoda unveiled at the 2014 Geneva motor show. What driveway wouldn’t look a little better for having this big family car parked on it?

 

The latest Superb is slightly shorter than executive saloons such as the BMW 5-series, but its interior is bigger than the average living room.

A six-footer will have inches of knee room to spare, even when sitting behind a similar-sized driver. Plus, they'll have enough head room to wear a top hat.

The interior is also as wide as three adults can be, while the boot is big enough to swallow a family's holiday luggage with ease. Only the hands-free boot opening system, which is supposed to let you raise the tailgate by swiping your foot under the rear bumper, is more awkward to use than it should be.

Practical touches include umbrellas in the doors, an ice scraper with the fuel filler and a gripping device in the cupholders that’s there so you can undo screw-top bottles one handed.

 

What really strikes you about the Superb (apart from its enormous interior) is the quality of the ride. It’s not quite Rolls-Royce smooth, but is damn close with only a slight nibbly quality over ripples betraying its mass-market nature.

Supportive front seats that offer a wide range of adjustment only add to the car's cosseting feel.

Most buyers will opt for the 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel, and it’s easy to see why, because it's generally strong and smooth.

The 187bhp 2.0-litre is essentially the same engine with the wick turned up, but while it certainly has some go, it suffers from more noise and vibration.

The same is true of the 1.6-litre diesel. And while this feels like it’s up to the job most of the time, you really miss the greater punch of the 2.0 litres when overtaking.

The 148bhp 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine, by contrast, is not at all out of breath driving this big car, so it makes the 2.0-litre petrol redundant.