2009 Skoda Superb Reviews

Skoda Superb is a large family car; longer than the Australian family sixes, indeed more in line with the Holden Caprice and Ford LTD than the standard Commodores and Falcons. However, the Czech car is not as wide as the Aussie cars.The Superb has limousine-size rear legroom and appeals to families consisting of Mum, Dad and a couple of hulking teenage sons. Three adults in the rear work without too much shoulder rubbing, but two makes more sense.While the Superb would work beautifully as a limousine, it’s a brave driver that turns up at a client’s place with something other than a German prestige marque.The Superb sedan/hatchback arrived in Australia in May 2009, May 2010 saw the launch of the station wagon. The Superb has never been as big a seller as its should - a statement that can be applied to the entire Skoda range in this country.Push one button at the rear of a Skoda Superb and a conventional bootlid opens. Close the bootlid and push a different button and a large rear hatch opens. Great fun and guaranteed to bemuse your neighbours!There are some very clever touches; the rear passenger doors have a compartment for a folding umbrella, thus doing away with the dangerous practice of carrying an umbrella on the rear parcel shelf. There’s a detachable torch housed in the tailgate of the wagon. It not only shines into the boot, but also illuminates the area outside the back of the vehicle. The torch is battery powered and is automatically recharged when it's in it cradle.Ride and handling show typical European characteristics, with the Superb having the solid feel of all vehicles designed by the Volkswagen group.Some may find the ride is slightly too firm, particularly on roads that should be in better conditions. But keen drivers will appreciate the firmer rid and will like the relatively neutral feel of the chassis. It doesn’t really show any signs of understeer until you’re going pretty hard into corners.The most common powertrain in the Superb is the Volkswagen 2.0-litre TDI turbo-diesel engine linked to a DSG double-clutch gearbox.The DSG has the usual failing of being lumpy and awkward at low speeds on light accelerator pressure.Other engine options are a four-cylinder 1.8-litre petrol and a 3.6 litre V6 in the 4x4 model. The six-cylinder is a delight to sit behind, smooth and torquey, but not many sold so it’s hard to find on the used-car scene.There aren’t a lot of Skoda dealers in Australia and those that do exist are chiefly in the major metro areas. Then again most of the Superb’s out of sight parts are shared with Volkswagen and Audi vehicles so getting spares, servicing and repairs shouldn't be a hassle if you shop around.These are relatively complex vehicles and we don’t feel the unskilled owner should do anything other than the most basic work on the Superb. Should you wish to tackle it, it makes sense to get hold of a workshop manual. As always, leave anything related to safety to the experts.Insurance charges for this big Skoda vary more than normal from company to company, probably because the numbers are too small to have built up a steady body repair history. Shop around, but make sure you do accurate apples-with-apples comparisons.Skoda has been caught up in the dirty diesel Volkswagen Group engine scandal. Cars with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel may be defective. Get onto the Skoda website and enter the VIN, it’s visible from the outside of the windscreen on the passenger side.The DSG gearbox has had more than its fair share of problems. During your test drive check that it doesn’t jump from gear to gear unnecessarily, or even slip into neutral for no reason. Repairs can be expensive, some Superbs may have had the DSG replaced altogether, check the service books.While on the subject of service books, it makes sense to buy a Superb with that book rubber stamped by an official dealer.Look for signs of previous body repairs. The easiest to spot are ripples in the panels and tiny specs of paint on non-painted surfaces. If in doubt either skip the car or have a profession after-smash repair, preferably in a workshop.Look for excessive wear and tear in the rear seat area and the luggage compartment. The sheer usability of these big Skodas mean they are often worked hard as family transport.When considering a relatively rare used vehicle it’s smart to do homework in your local area on the availability of spare parts and servicing.

By the time Skoda inveigled its Superb here the carmaker was working hard to build up its position in the market. The VW offshoot had a toehold in our highly competitive market, but it had become in effect a one-car company with the Octavia the only model doing any business to speak of and was going nowhere fast.NEWThe Superb was the first of a range of new and updated models aimed at getting some movement at its dealerships. It was based on a stretched Octavia/Passat platform, but being no wider than the smaller models it looked a little like a stretched limo, too long for its width. At launch there was just the one body style available, a wagon was added to the range later.That first body style was unusual in that it could be described as a sedan or a hatch. The trick was its "TwinDoor" boot lid cum tailgate, which could be either at the flick of a switch. It could be a normal boot, but at the flick of a switch it could be a full tailgate like that you get with a hatch. Under the hatch was a large boot that could be expanded by folding the rear seats.There was also heaps of room up front with comfortable accommodation for five adults in a quiet, refined cabin. Three engines were offered. A 1.8-litre four opened the bidding with 118 kW and 250 Nm; that was followed by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel that offered 125 kW and 350 Nm of frugal motoring, with the range topped by a 191 kW/250 Nm V6, which was only available in the Elegance.The diesel engine and the V6 were hooked up to a 6-speed DSG gearbox, while the 1.8-litre petrol got a 7-speed DSG unit. Final drive was through the front wheels with the four-cylinder and turbo-diesel engines, but the V6 had all-wheel drive. All models were well equipped, particularly the Elegance, which had the lot.NOWDSG: three letters that should spell caution when looking at a Superb. Road testers raved about the innovative new gearbox when VW rolled it out across its range, but they only had to live with it for a few days, a week at most. They didn't have to live with it for years as an owner has had to. We've been inundated with reports from angry owners about the DSG gearbox in their cars.Not from Skoda owners, from VW owners, and the gearboxes are the same. There's no question that the gearbox is a great thing when it's working as it should, but too often that doesn't happen, and when it plays up it becomes a nightmare. Erratic shifting, choosing the wrong gear, finding neutral at the most inappropriate moments are a couple of the issues that have been reported to us here at Carsguide.If the transmission does give trouble it can be an expensive unit to repair, and dealers usually opt for replacing the transmission instead of repairing it, and that's an even more expensive outcome.So, the bottom line for anyone contemplating buying a Skoda Superb is to thoroughly test drive it in all types of driving conditions and put the gearbox through its paces, observing for any hard changes, and shuddering on take-off of gear shifting, any reluctance to change gears, indication it has selected the wrong gear, and certainly any time it selects neutral.If you have any doubts about checking it, have it checking by an independent mechanic experienced in picking problems with autos. Another innovation was a so-called rain braking system that dried the brake rotors by bringing the pads into contact with the rotors every three kays for three seconds. A recipe for brake wear if ever there was one, so be prepared for more frequent brake replacements.As always check your potential purchase for regular servicing, go over the body checking for dodgy panel gaps, poor paint finish etc that might be a giveaway to a crash. The Superb is packed with electrics and electronics, other areas that often give trouble in today's cars, so check all systems and make sure everything is working as it should.SMITHY SAYSGenerally a sound choice, but be wary of DSG gearbox, which is a known problem area on VW products.Skoda Superb - 2009-2010Price new: $42,990 to $56,990Engine: 1.8-litre 4-cylinder petrol, 118 kW/ 250 Nm; 2.0-litre 4-  cylinder turbo-diesel, 125 kW/350 Nm; 3.6-litre V6 petrol, 191 kW/250 Nm.Transmission: 6-speed DSG, 7-speed DSG, FWD (1.8, TD), AWD (V6)Economy: 8.4 L/100 km (1.8), 6.9 L/100 km (TD), 10.2 L/100 km (V6)Body: 4-door sedanVariants: Ambition, EleganceSafety: 5-star ANCAPCOMING UPDo you own a Ford Fiesta? If so tell us what you think of it by sending your comments to Graham Smith at grah.smith@bigpond.com or Carsguide, PO Box 4245, Sydney, NSW, 2010.

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 marketSkoda 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."

Here is another entrant in the Australian family car market. One that's so completely different it may not be noticed the first time you draw up your short list of vehicles.

Or it could be just plain hubris. Whatever, you are really asking for it labelling your product ‘Superb.’This is the moniker of Skoda's flagship passenger car, which arrives here early next year. Fortunately, the Superb happens to be rather good in any language.The Czech marque's `more metal for your money motif' is embodied by a car that surpasses Ford's Mondeo for the title of Europe's best-value big family device.To put the Superb in terms of its prestige-priced corporate sibling Audi, it packs the most sophisticated Volkswagen Group powertrains in a package that surpasses Audi's A6 for size, yet will come in perhaps five figures cheaper than the smaller A4.The Superb renders big Australian six-cylinder family cars obsolete. It really is that accomplished.The entry-level TSI is powered by the VW Group's sparkling 1.8-litre direct-injection turbo petrol engine. Ignore that small capacity and its modest 118kW/250Nm output – all that torque is grabbed from a diesel-like low of 1500rpm, getting the 1.454 tonne front-wheel-driver from standing to 100km/h in 8.6 seconds.Driven with restraint, it will use as little as 7.6 litres of premium unleaded per 100km and emit 180g of CO2 per kilometre.An entry-level Commodore — with fewer cogs and 2000cc greater engine capacity to haul its massively greater weight — is not much faster and nowhere near as efficient or clean.If the case for big Aussie sixes is already fading, consider further that the newest Skoda uses the newest form of the manual-matic Direct Shift Gearbox, one that every marque from Porsche down to Mitsubishi and back up to BMW is emulating.This edition of DSG has a seventh forward gear, to assist pace off the mark and provide a leaner-running top ratio.The 1.8 TSI will be launched with a counterpart using VW's latest four-cylinder common-rail turbo diesel. With 125kW, this edition of the 2.0 TDI has mountainous torque of 350Nm, making for mighty mid-range acceleration. This car we expect to be priced in the low- to mid-40s.These front-wheel-driven Superbs will be joined later in '09 by an all-wheel-drive V6 with the 191kW/350Nm 3.6-litre direct injection petrol engine usually found in two-tonne-plus SUVs, including Porsche's Cayenne. We'd say about $52K for this one.If you're beginning to think the Superb is little more than another Czech derivative of VW Group product, Skoda asserts its individuality with execution and innovation all its own.First of all, it's long – almost 4.9m – with pendulous overhangs at either end, built on a platform that combines the Passat and what will be next year's Mk VI Golf.Though it's narrower than an Australian sedan, the interior space is cavernous. With a beanpole colleague comfortably ensconced in the driver's seat (“I could drive from Sydney to Brisbane like this,” he said), 185cm me still has a suitcase of space between knees and front seat. With back doors almost as big as the front, you have limo-like egress.Three passengers are seated in sublime comfort, a fourth tolerably.Then there's a Falcon-beating 565 litres of storage – 1670 with the back seats folded flat. This is accessed by the Twindoor – a rear gate that opens either in the manner of a sedan, or as a roof-hinged liftback.As to the exterior design, ‘conservative' is one word; ‘derivative’ is another. But the interior is outstanding, as pleasant as it is capacious. Even on cars without leather, it's close to Audi standards.We'll see two trim levels – Ambition and Elegance – both of which have literally superb standard kit, including ESP, at least seven airbags, and adaptive headlights. The European model has just been given a five star ENCAP crash test rating.An introductory drive through the Austrian Alps revealed a quiet, composed and dynamically competent performer with any of these transversely mounted engines.While the diesel's torque equals that of the V6 petrol, the DSG's propensity to leap into top gear for economy's sake means you need to constantly change down manually or engage sport for the sake of pressing on.Left alone, it can realise six litres per 100km and delivers with poise and predictability, leaving the growling and snarling to the top model.Up-gunned from the 3.2-litre job found elsewhere in the VW group, the newer version has a top end to match its low-down urge — and the sound to match. Though 100 per cent of the torque goes through the front wheels in straight-ahead driving, in extremis it shifts all 350Nm to the back via a Haldex coupling.Response is sharp, though you're always aware that you're trying to turn 1665kg. It helps that the electrically assisted power steering is weighted just about perfectly.The brakes on all versions, though, are grabby to the extent that smooth progress in slow going is a challenge.The pick has to be the entry-level model with that 1.8-litre turbo. This car proves capacity remains a measure of performance only in America and Australia: that it's not how much you've got but what you do with it, and that less really can be more.Next to the more hesitant six-speed DSGs standard in the diesel and V6, the TSI's enhanced transmission noticeably improves response off the mark and rewards with a raspy and characterful engine note.As both a brand-building exercise and as the family car for the times, the Superb loses nothing in the translation.Make One Degree of difference today by calculating your carbon footprint and finding out what you can do to reduce it.