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The Superb comes in five models with petrol and diesel powerplants. Photo Gallery
Mark Hinchliffe road tests and reviews the Skoda Superb at its Australian launch.
I can understand why the chauffeur at the airport would rave about Skoda’s new flagship, the Superb. I stepped into the vehicle without paying much attention and mistook it for an Audi A6, although subconsciously registering that it felt narrower.
Then I noticed the unusual green logo — looking like a chook's head with an arrow through it or perhaps an anorexic bird on the wing – and realised I was in the Skoda.
The instruments and standard of trim and fittings give the illusion of a much more expensive car, hence the A6 impression.
The driver said he was thinking of buying a Superb because it looked the part and had good head and leg room. However, he said, it was a bit narrow and would only fit two adults and a child in the rear.
It is based on a stretched Passat/Octavia platform, but it's no wider, so it looks too narrow for its length.
From behind it appears almost comically out of proportion, an illusion made worse by the strange shape of the boot necessitated by the twin-folding liftback.
However, it shares a lot of its VW cousin's pedigree which means it's a lively, but frugal performer with a lithe handling spirit.
In a short launch drive through the suburbs and surrounds of Sydney this week, the car proved to be quiet, comfortable and spacious with plenty of leg and head room.
It shows plenty of composure over rough surfaces, with a smooth and quiet ride, but the steering feels a little heavy and ponderous, especially in the V6 AWD model.
The six and seven-speed DSG transmissions are a proven delight. There is no manual option.
Variants and pricing
The Superb comes in five models with VW-sourced petrol and diesel powerplants, all with direct fuel injection.
The base model 1.8-litre TSI costs $42,990 and comes standard with ESP, dual zone airconditioning, six-CD sound system with touch screen and SD memory card, tyre pressure monitors, cruise control, rear parking sensors, self-retracting wing mirrors and fog lamps.
The same engine is also featured in the Elegance model costing $45,990 and adding adaptive Bi-Xenon headlights, alarm system, electronic driver's seat and upgraded 10-speaker sound system.
The two-litre turbo-diesel engine is also available in the Ambition ($45,990) and Elegance ($48,990) variants.
The top-of-the-range 3.6-litre V6 petrol comes in Elegance trim only with Haldex all-wheel-drive and costs $56,990.
Equipment
Leading the Superb's distinguishing features is its patented ‘Twindoor’ two-part hinged liftback boot.
At the flick of a switch on the electro-mechanical lock, the tailgate can act like a normal boot or a large hatchback, revealing an enormous 565-litre, flat-floored, lush-carpeted cargo area that is bigger than the Ford Falcon boot.
Under the floor is a full-size spare in the front-wheel-drive models and a space saver in the AWD.
Superb is also distinguished by a host of other surprising innovations and quirky technological features.
These include headlights that change focal point and spread according to speed and weather conditions (standard in Elegance), fog lamps that automatically light up corners at slow speeds, a rain braking system that dries the discs by bringing the pads into gentle contact with the discs every 3km for three seconds, and nine airbags, including a knee airbag.
Options include an affordable self-parking function ($890) and a solar-powered sunroof ($2290) which circulates cabin air to keep the car cool while it is parked in the sun.
There's even an umbrella in the rear door; the sort of feature you expect in a Rolls-Royce, not a medium-sized passenger car.
Sales and market
Skoda Australia head Matthew Wiesner says he won’t speculate on sales figures, but that they had about 100 in the country with orders "in the teens".
He said a wagon version would arrive in early 2010 with the same trim and engine configurations, but would not confirm a sporty RS version.
Wiesner said the car would compete against Australian large cars, Japanese medium-sized cars and fellow European models.
Skoda is expecting to lift its profile over the next year with the launch of the Superb. It will be followed by a wagon version and an Octavia facelift early next year with a new compact SUV mid-year.
Skoda Australia head Matthew Wiesner admitted they had been a one-car company in need of more models.
"We haven't devoted a lot of time to the Roomster so we've basically been an Octavia car company," he said this week at the launch of the Superb in Sydney.
"It's a hell of a car, based on the value, innovation and technology," he said.
"You would be well challenged to find something with such a strong combination."
Wiesner said their main challenge was brand awareness.
He said that in the 18 months since it relaunched in Australia, customer awareness of the brand as a car company had increased from about 40 to 60 per cent, according to Roy Morgan research.
Wiesner said the Superb would help "mature" and "stretch" the brand with its appeal to private buyers, user-choosers and government and corporate fleets.
"Our customers (for the Superb) are large car users and from corporate and semi-government," he said.
"They can stick to a large car and still get a diesel."
Skoda Superb
Ambition TSI $42,990
Ambition TDI $45,990
Elegance TSI $45,990
Elegance TDI $48,990
Elegance V6 $56,990
Engines: 1.8-litre TSI petrol, 2-litre TDI diesel, 3.6 V6 FSI petrol
Power: 118kW from 4500-6200rpm (TSI), 125kW @ 4200rpm (TDI), 191kW @ 6000rpm (V6)
Torque: 250Nm from 1500-4500rpm (TSI), 350Nm from 1750-2500rpm (TDI), 250 from 2500-5000rpm (V6)
Transmissions: 6-speed direct shift gearbox (TDI and V6), 7-speed DSG (TSI)
Economy (litres/100km): 8.4 (TSI), 6.9 (TDI), 10.2 (V6)
CO2 Emissions (g/km): 200 (TSI), 182 (TDI), 243 (V6), EU 4
