The article was originally produced on May 3, 2009, some facts and prices may have changed since then.
Skoda Superb
When I pick up the Skoda Superb I will have for a week and drive away from the Volkswagen Group in Södertälje, it immediately strikes me what VAG is doing. It is obvious that you lift all your brands according to a stair model and Skoda has taken a big step up!!
If we think that we put the brands in order with the most luxurious at the top and that is Audi followed by VW and after that comes Skoda followed by Seat. Roughly 20-30 years ago, Audi was not that high in rank compared to Mercedes and BMW. This is not the case today, but Audi is completely in line with these two at the top for just over 10 years. VW is now not far from these three brands and Skoda is now where VW was 10 years ago. And you can say that Seat is following suit.
The Skoda Superb is a really nice car for the price you have to pay. I can reveal that at once and there is no question about it. But that's not enough, the Superben is more than just a nice car for a good price. It also has features that make it really interesting in its class.
I'm going on a mini vacation combined with work and will drive many miles in the Superben during the week I have it. The test ext I have been allowed to borrow is equipped with a 2-liter diesel engine with a turbo of 170 horses and a so-called DSG box, double-clutch gearbox. It's not a rocket, but it runs smoothly and comfortably. Perfect for long-mile marchers.
What I miss, however, is a little more comfortable damping, like air damping. The car is quite stiff and you quickly feel it if the road is not completely smooth. The noise level is also quite high in the car, a bit like it feels like the car is thinly built. You can hear wheels and wind noise quite loudly.
You sit very comfortably in the front seats and it is easy to find a good driving position with the help of the electric seats. All controls are easy to find which is a positive. But if I have to choose, which I unfortunately didn't get much during the week I had the Superben, it would be to be a passenger and then in the back seat. When you look at the car from the outside, you can see that the rear door is very long. And when you open it and see the back seat and the distance to the front seats, you almost think it's a limousine to get into.
Another very practical thing is the tailgate. It is two-part and functions either as a normal sedan hatch or with a simple push of a button you fold up the entire hatch together with the rear window like on a hatchback. Very smart if you have a lot of luggage and don't want to crawl in to reach things deep in the luggage compartment.
The Skoda Superb is also equipped with an automatic pocket parking function. With a simple push of a button, the car steers perfectly into a pocket. Very smart and comfortable and it can probably save a lot of rims. You can also get four-wheel drive if you want and there is a lively V6 with 260 horsepower.
As I said, the Skoda Superb is a really nice car for a very good price and you get many functions that can only be found in much more expensive cars in the same class. But sure, Skoda is not as hot as an Audi, BMW or Mercedes or VW today but it is as hot as an Audi was 20 years ago and as a VW was 10 years ago!
Skoda Superb
Basic price | From SEK 210,000 |
Engine | 2 liter straight 4 with turbo, 170 hp. Torque 350 Nm |
Transmission | 6-speed DSG gearbox, front wheel drive |
Acceleration | 0-100 in 8.8 seconds |
Top speed | 220 km/h |
Fuel consumption mixed driving according to the manufacturer | 5.8 l/100 km |
Guarantees | 2 year new car warranty |
Web | www.skoda.se |
+ | The back seat, the tailgate and the price. |
– | A bit bumpy and noisy. Not so sexy brand. |