Skoda SUPERB 2.8 V6 ELEGANCE
Those With An Eye For A Luxurious Bargain May Find Skodas Superb 2.8 V6 A Decidedly Appealing Evolutionary Dead End. Andy Enright Reports
If one were to name a contender for the title of Most Surprising Car, the
Skoda Superb 2.8 V6 would get more than a few votes. Yes, its true that there arent too many people who now associate Skoda with rear engined rattlers but who would expect the Superb 2.8 V6 to be this good? Not many.
Its a bit of an eye opener and one that may well have a certain historical significance.
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Skoda, you see, is but one brand subsumed into the enormous machine that is the
Volkswagen Group. Back in the Nineties, under the auspices of Chairman Dr Ferdinand Piech, Volkswagen went into a ferociously acquisitive phase the like of which we shall probably never see again. As
SEAT, Skoda,
Audi,
Lamborghini, Bugatti and
Bentley all came under the VW Group banner, it was inevitable that there would be a proliferation and overlap of models. So weve had Audis that compete with SEATs, Volkswagens sports designs that looked like Lamborghinis and of course Skodas like this one aimed at boardroom buyers who would normally be considering one of the groups more prestigious marques.
Opinion both inside and outside of Germany is divided on whether this is actually a good thing but you cant really argue with the quality of the cars involved. The Skoda Superb, for example, is a car that will shock converts to the brand, based on a stretched VW Passat chassis that Volkswagen had originally engineered for the Chinese market. We probably wont see its like again, but even if we do, the eventual replacement certainly wont have an engine as large as the 2.8-litre V6 featured here.
Something of a future museum piece then. Not that many Superb customers will ever get to experience it. Skoda reckons that nine out of every ten UK customers for this model will opt for one of the 2.0-litre petrol or TDI versions.
Which is not to say that the flagship model should be ignored.
"The 2.8-litre V6 Elegance model that we examine here represents the pinnacle of the range, the most Superb, if you will"
For £20,340, the Superb V6 2.8 30v provides most of the same recipe offered by the £30,000 VW Passat W8, but with more space and a saving of nearly £10,000. Its 193bhp unit develops an impressive 206 Ib/ft of torque and is of course the largest Superb engine on offer or at least it will be until someone gets round to sticking the W8s 4.0-litre V8 under the bonnet.
But why would you want to when this one makes sixty in 8.0s on the way to 147mph? A bit of a downside is the fuel consumption: youll struggle to average much more than about 28mpg. What home-grown Skoda influence there is in this car has been neatly integrated: the chrome front grille, restyled bonnet and trapezoidal headlamps are all detail changes. The wider cabin and unique small rear side windows represent more fundamental improvements. Move inside and the first thing that strikes you is the wood trim. I remember laughing the first time I saw wood in a Skoda (an after-market package fitted to a Felicia a few years ago) but theres nothing remotely funny about this.
Adorning the dashboard and the doors, the dark timber is tasteful and Germanic. Whereas the cabin of Skodas smaller Octavia seems to have been kept deliberately drab to preserve Passat sales, this one seems almost as good as anything from the German marques stable. Which, given that the price is so competitive, makes this car something of a steal. As with the Passat, you shouldnt expect a particularly involving driving experience.
Still, most buyers will find the ride to be truly excellent thanks to Skodas careful tweaking of the four-link strut and torsion beam suspension. Its certainly difficult to imagine anyone getting out of shape in one, particularly as ESP Electronic Stability Control is standard. Youre never likely to need it though: this is not an involving drivers car. Never mind: the inviting cabin makes up for much. As you might expect, most of the extra 95mm of space offered over the standard Passat design has been donated towards the cause of extra legroom and it makes lots of difference. Sadly, the boot capacity is no different to an ordinary Passats (462 litres) but you can at least extend it by using the easily-to-operate split-folding rear seats. Its even possible to fold the front passengers seat flat for particularly long items.
If you want to go further, youll be wanting an estate but there are no plans for one: yet. For the drivers its all very plush, thanks to a multi-function leather-coated steering wheel that adjusts for both rake and reach. Only one trim level is offered with the 2.8-litre V6 engine range-topping Elegance.
As well as electric windows, sat nav, leather, air conditioning and a trip computer, youll find xenon headlamps, a premium CD stereo system, rain-sensing wipers, climate-controlled air conditioning, 17" alloy wheels and electric seats with a memory function. Plus of course you can order leather seats and satellite navigation should you want it: mindful of their savings, many buyers probably will. Fill your boots whilst the gettings good. It may represent an evolutionary blind alley, but the Skoda Superb 2.8 V6 is, by any objective analysis, a quite superb car.
In doing exactly what it says on the tin for a price that reads like a misprint, Skoda should be applauded. Smoother than many Mercs, the Superb 2.8 V6 represents a triumph of corporate ambition over pragmatism but when the result is this good who cares? Dr Piech, wherever you are, we salute you.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Skoda Superb 2.8 V6 Elegance
PRICE: £20,340 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 15
CO2 EMISSIONS: 233g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 8.0s / Max Speed 147mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 28mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm 4803/1765/1469mm
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