Skoda Superb Estate - king of the load (From Essex County Standard)

Skoda Superb Estate - king of the load Review

Skoda Superb Estate - king of the load

7:57pm Tuesday 20th July 2010

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AS BIG as a Mercedes E-Class but less than a Ford Focus - there’s no wonder Skoda reckons the Superb Estate has what it takes to become the king of the load.

Already legendary for its limo-like levels of rear legroom - there’s more space in a Superb than an S-Class in the back - the latest estate model has a similarly enormous boot.

It handles in a fairly stately manner, and the ride is very accomplished over Britain’s poorly surfaced roads.
Nigel Burton, Motoring Editor

It betters all the obvious competition, even the cavernous Mondeo Estate, and does so for a price that’s often thousands of pounds less on a model-for-model basis.

The extended roofline helps balance the Superb’s controversial looks, even if it does nothing for the black Skoda grille which still looks a bit too much like a clipped moustache to my eyes, and the useful roof bars are standard fitment.

Incredibly for such a large well constructed car prices start at less than £18,000, although for that sort of outlay you’ll be stuck with the 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine that’ll feel a bit underpowered lugging around one-and-a-half tonnes of Skoda.

Notionally the top-of-the-range Superb is the 3.6-litre V6 version but hardly anybody will buy one - and if they do the depreciation on such a thirsty petrol powered car will be frightening - so the big seller in the UK is likely to be the 2.0-litre TDI. But is that such a letdown? The twin cam turbodiesel still puts out a hefty 170 bhp and gallops all the way to a top speed of nearly 140 mph.

More tellingly, it will cruise all day at the motorway maximum and still return around 45 mpg. That gives the big Skoda a real world touring range of almost 600 miles between fill-ups.

For your £24,000 you get full climate control, four electric windows, parking sensors, satellite navigation and leather upholstery as well as all those nice little Skoda features like the umbrella that stows away in the rear door, the magnetic torch that clamps to the bodywork and the down-lighters in the boot that illuminate the luggage area.

Skoda may have raided the VW parts bin for the interior but they haven’t skimped on their equipment choices: the satellite navigation screen and the audio system are direct lifts from the far more expensive VW Touareg, for instance.

The only surprise was the lack of oddments space in the front. The door bins are too narrow and the centre console is pretty much full up when an iPod is plugged into the sound system.

Still who needs masses of oddments space when you have 633-litres of room in the boot including twin storage bins and an innovative sliding luggage restraint system? Should that not be enough (!) the back seats fold down to give a whopping 1,865 litres of space.

The 2.0-litre diesel is quiet and easy to drive. Skoda has used plenty of sound insulation to keep the usual VW “thrum” out of the cabin and it works well.

Plenty of torque means there’s no need to work the six speed gearbox hard and the beefy mid-range provides ample reserves for overtaking.

For a big car the Skoda handles well, albeit in a fairly stately manner, and the ride is very accomplished over Britain’s poorly surfaced roads. Although best suited to motorways and well surfaced A-roads, where the engine’s character meshes nicely with the chassis’s laid back movement, the Superb can still cut in on back roads with minimal roll and decent steering.

Extra kit you might care to add includes a panoramic sunroof and an electric tailgate that can be programmed to stop at a certain height - great if you regularly use a multi-storey car park with a low ceiling.

The optional adaptive lighting system is also a worthwhile addition if you drive a lot at night. It doesn’t just help you see around corners but it actively extends the throw of the beams for better vision at high speeds.

Not only is the Superb Estate a highly skilled drive but it has more space than any rival and costs thousands less to buy. Factor in Skoda’s reputation for customer care and the company’s biggest load lugger makes a very strong case for itself.

SPEC CHECK: Engine: 2.0-litre twin cam turbodiesel Max power: 170 bhp @ 4,200 rpm Max torque: 258 lb/ft @ 1,750 rpm Top speed: 137 mph 0-62mph: 8.9 seconds Av fuel consumption on test: 48.3 mpg CO2 exhaust emissions: 158 g/km Equipment: Electric windows, sat nav, climate control, CD player with MP3, RDS radio tuner and aux inputs, rear bumper park distance radar, alloy wheels, electric mirrors, reach/rake adjustable power steering.

Price: £24,795