Superior Superb

20th August 2010 from the Herald Sun by Paul Gover

ŠKODA has made a family car that is brilliant value, writes Paul Gover

Any car that lobs with a Superb badge on the boot had better be good. Using a name like that is an invitation to failure, especially in Australia, or at least a severe ribbing if it doesn't come up to scratch.

ŠKODA has a right to the badge because it's part of the company's history, but the Czech brand still has to make a serious impact in Australia and superb is a word that doesn't really fit.

But the Superb shows what ŠKODA can do and moves the Australian story on from the Octavia, which has done most of the heavy lifting since it was added to the local Volkswagen Group family.

It's a lot like the Volkswagen Passat, at least in size and mechanical package, but the workers in the Czech Republic have managed to give it a unique look, personality and value.

The Superb is bigger inside than a Passat and that latest model, the Wagon, has pricing from $38,990.

Matthew Wiesner, head of ŠKODA Australia, says: "It's an excellent package and we've positioned it well on value. It will help to build the brand. It's the right opportunity."

The Superb Wagon range is predictable and solid, with both petrol and diesel engines, front and all-wheel drive, and a range of specifications up to the popular Elegance pack that includes everything from electric, leather seats and alloy wheels to seven airbags and ABS brakes.

Value is the foundation for the whole ŠKODA brand, which sits at the bottom of the Volkswagen Group in Australia below VW itself and then Audi.

The test car is a turbodiesel with Elegance, the second-top model below the V6 all-wheel drive with a price tag of $49,990. It comes massively loaded yet still with a price tag that undercuts its large-car rivals in Australia, including the Commodore Sportwagon and several mid-range SUVs.

The 118 engine is the most popular Volkswagen diesel in Australia and it gets an excellent DSG manumatic gearbox, with everything inside from satnav to a punchy sound system.

Despite Xenon headlamps and the rest, the car is not available with a rear-view camera. There is parking sonar, but it's a major failing. "It's under development," Wiesner says, without promising an introduction date.

ŠKODA takes everything out of the Volkswagen parts bin, which means good stuff. The engine has 125kW and 350 Nm, there are six gears in the DSG, fully independent suspension, power steering and the other things you expect at this size and price.

The body is developed from the same platform used for a range of Volkswagen Group products from the Golf, but ŠKODA has managed to trump even the Passat with a huge cabin and a good-looking shape that is also practical.

ŠKODA says the interior dimensions are similar to the Sportwagon and now-dead Falcon wagon, but with a much deeper load space in the rear.

The Superb Wagon is a bulky car but its proportions are well disguised and it has an upmarket look and feel. That means fake wood in the dash, lots of chrome on the nose, leather inside and soft-touch plastics in all the key areas.

The tail end is an absolute treat, with everything from a high-lift tailgate with a rubber pulldown strap to a range of plug-in dividers which sit in tracking in the luggage space. They seem familiar from the Audi Q7.

The seats are well shaped, the dash design is simple and effective with green highlights, where VW uses blue and there is huge space in the back seat.

The fold-down luggage space is made bigger and flatter by a system that folds the back squab up and forward so the back rest can tuck right away. It's a big surprise to find a fold-out umbrella inside the left-rear door something we thought was reserved for Rolls-Royce and there is even a nifty pull-out torch inside the tail.

But the cup holders are crappy, too small and too few.

The Superb ticks all the safety boxes, from seven airbags to ESP and brake assist. It's a fivestar effort. It also has standard tyre pressure monitoring, three-point belts for all occupants, and an alarm with interior monitoring. But it should come with a rear-view camera.

Driving

The Superb wagon is a very big car, ideal for family work and a serious alternative to a wide range of SUVs.

It's the car a lot of Australians need-not the one they want. Even so, the cabin space is fantastically large and flexible, with lots of leg room front and back, and that brilliant luggage space in the tail. It's a very quiet car that gets along more than well enough with the turbodiesel engine and DSG gearbox.

There is good push for overtaking and it's light on fuel.

At first the Superb feels a little soft and floppy. And the front suspension definitely wobbles and crashes through bumps a bit, but the tail is solidly planted and the brakes are great.

It's not a sport car, but it's much more convincing and enjoyable than most SUVs, particularly when you have the family and a load on board.

It's one of the surprisingly memorable cars of 2010 and brilliant value. It makes the Passat look underdone and puts the Sportwagon into a slot for people who really want an SS sedan but have to have a wagon for family work.

She says
Alison Ward

I barely know what a ŠKODA is when the Superb arrives but I'm immediately impressed. We have the automatic 7-speed DSG (whatever that means), diesel, full leather trim and a stylish interior.

Being a part of the VW network evidently has its advantages. You can see their contribution in the dash and the seamless gear changes and handling.

This car is a benchmark car for Aussie drivers, especially for travelling families. Its base model includes a mile of extras other car brands want to charge for and the test car is brilliant value.

There is plenty of room in the boot, with many hooks, lights and restraints for belongings. The back seat has so much space we can wind the front seats all the way back and not worry about the youngster in the child seat. But I think the cup holder situation is a bit dire.

If there is a better family car in Australia for $50,000 then I haven't driven it.

The bottom line

It's not quite superb, but the new ŠKODA flagship is very, very good and brilliant value.

Inside view

ŠKODA Superb wagon

Price: $49,990
Engine: 2-litre turbodiesel
Power: 125kW at 4200 revs
Torque: 350Nm at 1750-2500 revs
Transmission: six-speed DSG, front-wheel drive
Body: five-door station wagon
Seats: five
Dimensions: length 4838mm, width 1817mm, height 1510mm, wheelbase 2761mm, tracks front/rear 1537mm/1519mm
Steering: rack-and-pinion power steering
Suspension: fully independent with front MacPherson struts and rear multi links
Fuel tank: 60 litres
Fuel type: diesel
Fuel consumption: 6.6 litres/100km combined
Weight: 1627kg
Spare tyre: full-sized
Brakes: anti-skid all-round discs
Wheels: 17-inch alloys
Tyres: 225x45 R17
Safety gear: dual front, front side, curtain and driver's knee airbags, electronic stability control, traction control, anti-skid brakes, brake assist CO, emissions: 175g/km

Features

• Airconditioning
• Leather seats
• Cruise control
• Heated seats
• Alloy wheels
• Parking sensors
• Climate control
• Auto wipers