Skoda Superb Hatchback review

“When it first hit UK roads, Skoda’s
Superb took some flack over its
name. However, it didn’t take long
before its critics had to eat their
words because Skoda’s big hitter
really does live up to its name!”

Q-CARS YOU WILL HAVE HEARD ABOUT. But what about WHO-cars (as in Doctor Who)? Skoda's large executive motor is undeniably one of the latter as its fluent styling cleverly masks a vast Tardis-like interior. However there's more, much more, to it than meets the eye — this latest Superb doesn't just dazzle on space, but also impresses with its ride, handling, comfort, and generous kit.

In fact, as an executive car, the affordable Superb hatchback (also available as a super-capacious and uber-practical estate car) makes for a feel-good 'buy' even when stacked against desirable German-badged thoroughbreds such as Audi's A4 and the 3 Series from the BMW stable.

If petrol is the fuel you like to party with, then Skoda's 148bhp 1.5 TSI 150 engine is a fitting choice — clean-revving and mated to a seven-speed DSG autobox, it serves up very acceptable mid-range oomph and enough poke to whisk you past the benchmark 62mph in an unruffled 9.2 seconds.

“If petrol is the fuel you
like to party with, then
Skoda’s 148bhp 1.5 TSI
engine is a fitting
choice — clean-revving
and mated to a seven-
speed DSG autobox,
it serves up very
acceptable mid-range
oomph and enough poke
to whisk you past 62mph
in an unruffled 9.2
seconds...”

Top whack is higher than you might guess — 137mph — and its 'on-paper' official combined consumption is an affordable 42.1mpg. MotorBar's demanding road test itinerary easily confirmed that, recording a real-world average of 43.1mpg achieved over a variety of routes including tricksy country lanes and congested city traffic, all without trying to drive economically and, as they say, 'just keeping up with traffic'.

It might only be the Superb range's entry-level powerplant but the 1.5 TSI is a great unit; you'll find it smoothly punchy, always willing to serve up more than sufficient pep, and it gets on with the job quietly in the background — impressive in a car as big as this. On motorways its easily accessible 148bhp manifestly underscores the SportLine Plus's laid-back, mile-eating capabilities.

Swing open the driver's door and you'll find an exceedingly well-appointed cabin with nicely bolstered sports-style heated (three-stage) chairs upholstered in a very swish black Microsuede with silver diamond stitching that are as comfy and supportive as they look. The driver is further pampered with powered seat and lumbar adjustment and a three-setting seat memory recall function that makes life less complicated for anyone who needs to share the driving.

Head and legroom trump what you'll find in many premium models, while the liberal cabin width guarantees elbow comfort for even an XL-sized driver travelling with a rugby-playing front passenger. The steering wheel is sporty, and the driving position first-rate. The unimpeded view out over the bonnet makes accurately placing this large car a doddle, both in traffic and when parking.

The SportLine Plus is the penultimate trim spec in the Superb line-up, coming in one step below the flagship Laurin & Klement model, and comes extremely well specced with not just plenty of in-cabin goodies and must-haves but a comprehensive array of safety equipment and genuinely useful driver aids.

Comms include Skoda's excellent and easy to use Columbus satellite navigation with 3D mapping and a central 9.2-inch touchscreen display that includes integrated WiFi, CareConnect with Emergency Call, voice control, Infotainment Online, SmartLink+ (with wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, and MirrorLink connectivity), web and DAB digital radio, Bluetooth, and two USB ports. The driver further benefits from Skoda's easily customisable Virtual Cockpit — a 10.3-inch digital instrument panel offering a choice of five configurations including two integrating the SatNav's active mapping.

Should you choose, you can easily minimise the dials and display; for instance, you can set the full SatNav mapping to show directly ahead of you on the driver's panel — oh-so-useful when driving through previously unvisited or busy towns and cities. Both readouts react quickly, have crisp and bright graphics, and their menus are intuitive and a cinch to use. In addition there's reliable voice control and touch-sensitive shortcut buttons along the base of the touchscreen. Alternatively you can use your smartphone's apps via the central main screen, courtesy of the Android Auto/Apple CarPlay wireless mirroring.

“More good news: the
generous space up front
doesn’t come at the
expense of the rear
passengers’ comfort —
three adults can travel
side-by-side very
sociably indeed in the
wide, limo-like back
cabin while enjoying
loads of headroom and
very generous leg room.
Access is a breeze, too,
courtesy of the wide-
opening rear doors...”

The Superb's cabin is upmarket, featuring some smart carbon optic elements along with a ten-colour LED interior ambience pack, while dynamically there is Drive mode selection (so your drives can be as economical or as sporting as you wish (or there's Individual mode, which enables you to customise the various settings to suit your personal style), progressive dynamic steering, and a three-spoke leather-wrapped = with decidedly tactile perforated 'work areas' = SuperSport multifunction steering wheel with silver stitching and gear-shifting paddles.

Attention to detail is impressive too, with high standards of fit and finish boosted by pleasantly soft-touch materials and well-damped switchgear and controls = even the doors underscore the palpable cabin quality as they close with a discreet, premium-grade 'thunk'.

Other cabin 'goodies' include dual-zone climate control with humidity sensor, (along with an electric auxiliary air heater), Adaptive Cruise Control, power-adjustable, heated and folding door mirrors with memory function, one-shot-op windows front and rear, auto-dimming rearview mirror, a smooth-operating autohold function on the electronic handbrake, electrically-operated boot, keyless four-door entry/locking and engine Start/Stop, and privacy glass.

At a time when people have never had so much personal stuff to cart around — smartphones, headphones, tablets, bottled water, etc, etc — many cars fall short of the necessary in-cabin storage. Not so the Superb which offers loads of places to stow all the personal gear you might choose to carry.

Below the large and adjustable centre armrest there's a huge bin supplemented by a practical cooled glovebox, lined bottle-holding XL-size door bins, cupholders in the centre console, a lidded cubby below the steering wheel, drop-down overhead sunglasses case, drawers built into the front seat bases, and even a smartphone 'bed' for the optional wireless charging ahead of the gear selector. Equally handy is the ticket holder on the offside A-pillar and the umbrella compartments, one in the driver's door with another in the passenger's door, that each holster a collapsible umbrella (of which one is provided as standard).

Safety kit is reassuringly comprehensive with Front Assist (including predictive pedestrian protection), multi-collision braking, blind spot detection, driver fatigue sensor, hill hold, ESC, XDS+ diff, Sport chassis with 2-level ESC, full Matrix LED headlights with Skoda's Adaptive Front Light system, LED daytime running lights with headlight washers, LED rear lights with dynamic indicators, cornering front fog lights, auto lights and wipes plus Light Assistant (including coming home, leaving home and tunnel light), auto dip/main beam switching (a real boon this), seven airbags (front, front side, curtain, driver's knee), front passenger airbag deactivation switch, front and rear parking sensors, ISOFIX child seat fittings on the outer rear seats, power-operated rear door child locks, and tyre pressure monitoring.

Doubling down on the Superb SportLine Plus's sleek but subtle exterior treatment is a set of rather dashing 19-inch Vega alloy wheels; there's also gloss black exterior finishing to the door mirror caps, window surrounds, rear spoiler, and purposeful ribbed front grille. All of it beautifully set off by the striking Race Blue metallic paintwork (an easily justified Ł405 extra) featured on our test car.

“Although the Superb
delivers a satisfyingly
unruffled ride that
doesn’t mean the
SportLine Plus driver
can’t push on when the
need arises. Thanks to
this model’s slightly
stiffer set-up,
‘progressive dynamic’
steering that’s both
accurate and weights
up nicely at speed, neat
body control, a well-
mannered get-up-and-go
Sport mode, plus plenty of grip, the SportLine
never feels anything
less than stable and
predictable around the
twisties...”

More good news: the generous space up front doesn't come at the expense of rear passengers' comfort — three adults can travel side-by-side very sociably indeed in the wide, limo-like back cabin while enjoying loads of headroom and very generous leg room. Access is a breeze, too, courtesy of the wide-opening rear doors.

And family drivers will also love the ease of using any child seats they may fit in the back cabin (fittings are provided on both outer rear seats). The door bins are also very accommodating, and you'll find cupholders built into the central drop-down armrest. Rear USB charging ports are also fitted, while your passengers' privacy is respected by dark tinted glass.

Wherever you sit in this aptly named five-seater Superb, the ride is enjoyable; particularly so cruising motorways — where the big Skoda wafts along, leaving passengers free to chill in the refined cabin. Surprisingly, even rolling on the stiffer-suspended Sportline Plus's 19-inch alloy wheels doesn't spoil the commendably settled ride; even speed bumps don't upset it, but then the Superb's mission statement is clearly comfort with a capital C.

Although the Superb delivers a satisfyingly unruffled ride that doesn't mean the SportLine Plus driver can't push on when the need arises. Thanks to this model's slightly stiffer set-up, 'progressive dynamic' steering that's both accurate and weights up nicely at speed, neat body control, a well-mannered get-up-and-go Sport mode, plus plenty of grip, the SportLine never feels anything less than stable and predictable around the twisties. Yet in town it feels wieldy; relaxed in the cut and thrust of city driving. Excellent visibility from behind the wheel plus a practical turning circle strengthens its urban abilities. The progressive brakes are also superb, delivering reassuring stopping in all weather conditions and from all speeds.

There's only one word for the Superb's boot: Massive! The large, powered hatchback-style tailgate lifts high to reveal a flat load space that will swallow an amazing 625 litres of luggage. As you might expect, Skoda have also provided an ample sufficiency of sturdy bag hooks, stretchy load nets, and additional side panel cubbies to help keep everything, whatever its size and shape, efficiently organized. Apart from being large enough to sleep in, the boot alone will more practically accommodate around ten carry-on suitcases — and that's below the parcel shelf, so no visibility restrictions either.

Should your cargo needs demand even more space, then folding down the 60:40-split rear seatbacks will expand the load bay volume to a humongous 1,760 litres (for the record, the Superb estate packs even more: a truly vast 1,950 litres of luggage space with its back seats lowered). Upping the hatchback SportLine's versatility is a rechargeable torch, a pair of velcroed placeholders that can be attached to any part of the loadbay floor to keep larger items from sliding about, and a load-through hatch in the middle backrest that takes the hassle out of carrying long items (including skis!) between two rear passengers. Finally, don't forget that the 150PS unit is more than capable of towing a braked 1,600kg.

Take a test drive in one of Skoda's superb Superb hatchbacks and you'll forget all about badge snobbery. Spend just Ł38,825 on a SportLine Plus Superb and you'll be buying a first-rate executive car you can be proud of, one with a classy interior and acres of space, that's not only generously equipped but clearly built to last. Who could ask for anything more? ~ MotorBar

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