Skoda SUPERB TDI RANGE
In TDI Diesel Form, Skodas Larger-Than-Life Flagship Saloon Makes Superb Sense. Jonathan Crouch Reports
Depending on your company circumstances, you could well feel that youre more likely to win the lottery than end up running an Executive car.
This could be because your corporate situation is rather limited or it might be because theres rather a stingy accountant downstairs. Either way, your options on company transport at best are likely to be limited to something from the familiar Mondeo/Vectra/Laguna Medium Range Family class. Unless you can inveigle yourself into a
Skoda Superb of course, an Omega/
BMW 5 Series-sized saloon for Medium Range money or at least thats the idea. Were talking company car-talk here because Skoda reckon that over 80% of Superb sales will be financed through corporate chequebooks.
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But thats not to say that this isnt also an impressive alternative if youre shopping around from the family bank account. If thats the case, then versatility will probably be key and one drawback of this Czech contender is that it only comes in a single four door saloon bodystyle. Mind you, theres not too much else to criticise, especially in the TDI diesel-powered form we examine here. There are three engine options, all borrowed from the VW Passat, with four cylinder turbocharged units boasting either 100 or 130bhp and a super-smooth V6 TDI powerplant with 160bhp.
In fact, you could reasonably argue that the whole car is borrowed from the VW Passat: underneath the skin, there arent too many differences and
Skoda are quite open about the fact that the Superb is broadly based on a stretched long wheelbase Passat that was originally developed for the Chinese market. In the UK, Skodas UK importers have pitched this car around significantly below Passat prices: take the Classic TDI PD 130 variant at £15,400, also offered in Comfort form at £16,800. This, rather than the entry-level TDI PD 100 version, is likely to be the strongest seller. At the top of the range, the entry-level Comfort-specced 2.5 V6 TDI at £18,400 comes in well below the equivalent Passat, so much so that you may feel that you can stretch to the Elegance version with the Tiptronic automatic gearbox (at £21,600).
"An astonishing 90% of Superbs will be sold at prices below £18,000. "
But here were getting into fairyland. Skoda know very well that the number of people prepared to pay more than £18,000 for one of their cars is extremely limited which is why an astonishing 90% of Superbs will be sold at prices below that level. Half the models in the line-up, in other words, will hardly ever find UK customers. Such are the problems of battling with an embarrassing past.
Anyway, the prices being asked at all levels seem like a good deal given that, in comparison to a Passat, the wheelbase has been extended by 95mm to 2803mm. In real terms, that means a huge amount of extra rear
seat legroom some 838mm from the back of the rear seat to the back of the front seats. To put that into perspective, the equivalent measures for Fords Mondeo, Vauxhalls Vectra and Renaults Laguna are 737mm, 686mm and 711mm respectively. On longer journeys, this will make an enormous amount of difference.
Move inside and the first thing that strikes you is the quality of the trim, which features wood on plusher versions. 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 Octavias cabin seems to have been kept deliberately drab to preserve Passat sales, this one seems almost as good as anything from the German marques stable.
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 steering wheel that adjusts for both rake and reach. Three trim levels are being offered Classic, Comfort and Elegance and all include all-round electric windows, air conditioning with additional vents for the rear seats, power mirrors, remote central locking and a CD player. Go for the Elegance and you can expect to find xenon headlamps, a premium CD stereo system, an electric sunroof, 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. 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.
The Superb is a sensible buy theres no getting away from that, provided you dont much care about an involving driving experience and the versatility of five doors. And it gets even more sensible in TDI guise. If youre buying in the Medium Range sector and really rather wishing you could afford something larger, then you cant afford to ignore it.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Skoda Superb TDI range
PRICES: £14,500-£21,600 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 10-13
CO2 EMISSIONS: 151-216g/km / C-E
PERFORMANCE: [TDI 130bhp] Max Speed 127mph / 0-60mph 10.4s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [TDI 130bhp] (urban) 36.2mpg / (extra urban) 60.1mpg / (combined) 48.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS, ESP
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm 4803/1765/1469mm
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