Most Superb Škoda

Škoda Australia has released its third and most ambitious model to date in the flagship Superb sedan, which transforms itself into a five-door liftback like its mid-size Octavia stablemate at the touch of a button.

Priced from $42,990 and pitched directly at large sedans including the homegrown Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon and Toyota Aurion, the Superb is available now in two equipment grades and with three engine choices – including the Volkswagen Group’s latest turbocharged petrol and diesel powerplants.

A 3.6-litre petrol V6-powered all-wheel drive version tops the range at $56,990 – the same price as the smaller-engined Volkswagen Passat 3.2 V6 4Motion.

The Superb also comes with the Passat’s 125kW 2.0-litre TDI engine, priced from $45,990 in entry-level Ambition specification, making it the only large sedan available with diesel power in Australia for under $50,000, apart from Hyundai’s Grandeur 2.2 CRDi ($41,990).

Based on a stretched version of the VW Group’s PQ46 modular platform, which underpins everything from the Golf to the Octavia and Passat, the second-generation Superb revives a 1930s Škoda model name that predates Volkswagen, which purchased the Czech brand in 1990.

It offers enough rear legroom (157mm) to rival the long-wheelbase Statesman and a huge 565-litre boot that eclipses even the Falcon’s, extending to a wagon-like 1670 litres with the rear seats folded down.

The cavernous cargo area can be accessed via the split/folding rear seat and a traditional sedan-style bootlid that, thanks to Škoda’s clever patented TwinDoor tailgate design, doubles as a large rear liftback to make un/loading easier while retaining all of the refinement benefits of a sedan.

Opening the all-automatic Superb range is the 1.8 TSI Ambition at just under $43,000 – the same price as the less-powerful Passat 2.0 103TDI sedan, which puts the least expensive Superb in the same ballpark as the Berlina V6 and Falcon G6, but makes it pricier than large Japanese sedans such as Honda’s Accord and the Nissan Maxima.

The 1611kg Superb range-starter is motivated by VW’s 118kW/250Nm 1.8-litre turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder petrol engine, mated to VW’s latest sevenspeed dual-clutch automated manual (DSG) transmission.

Running on recommended 98 RON premium unleaded, the least expensive Superb sprints to 100km/h in a claimed 8.5 seconds, consumes an ADR 81/02 combined average of 8.4 litres of fuel per 100km, emits 200g of carbon dioxide per kilometre and has a stated top speed of 220km/h.

With a six-speed DSG transmission, the $3000 more expensive Superb 2.0 TDI ($45,990) delivers more power (125kW) and torque (350Nm), slightly slower acceleration (0-100km/h in 8.8 seconds), the same 220km/h top speed and better fuel economy (6.9L/100km) and CO₂ emissions (182g/km). It weighs 1655kg and comes with a particulate filter.

Both front-drive four cylinder Superb variants are available in base Ambition specification guise and, for an extra $3000, top-shelf Elegance form, bringing the top-spec 1.8 TSI to the same $45,990 price as the 2.0 TDI Ambition, and the 2.0 TDI Elegance to $48,990.

All Superbs come standard with a total of nine airbags, including twin front, frontside, rear-side, side curtain and a driver’s knee airbag, plus electronic stability control, ABS brakes, a hill-holder function, front foglights with cornering function, tyre pressure monitoring, five adjustable head restraints, five three-point seatbelts, rear parking sensors and remote central locking.