My elegantly uniformed chauffeuse, Heike Hebsacker, met me as I arrived in
Salzburg, opened the rear door of the Skoda and said: “Good afternoon, sir -
your car.” A chauffeuse and a Skoda? Surely a conflict in credibility at a
thermonuclear level.
But Heike was totally credible as she smiled and silently transmitted a “You'd
better believe it, sunshine” message. So, obediently, I settled into the
leather rear seat of the immodestly named Skoda Superb, stretched my legs
and considered the words of the writer and wit, Graeme Garden. When asked
several years ago to provide the least successful chat-up line for the girl
of his dreams, he suggested: “Let's go for a drive in the Skoda.” Now Heiki
was taking me for a drive in a Skoda that moved with mellifluous fluidity.
So the jokes are passé and the cars are no longer just bought by ageing
Uncle Albert and Auntie Doris clones.
Under the aegis of its Volkswagen parent, Skoda has gained total credibility
and the new car puts the seal on its transformation. With its long
wheelbase, the Superb (priced from about £15,500 to £25,000) seems almost
like a junior stretched limo, has many of the accoutrements of luxury and
generally looks very good. All this has been achieved without being styled
in some sun-dappled, trendy, California studio: the Superb was conceived in
Skoda's Czech Republic home town, Mlada Boleslav.
In fact the Superb (80 per cent Skoda with the rest pure Volkswagen) is an
impressive achievement, with a hint of hauteur that separates it from its
direct rivals, such as the Ford Mondeo, forthcoming Vauxhall Insignia and
Citroën C5.
But in some respects, Skoda may have tried a little too hard. In a world of
crossover vehicles that combine the elements of two different types of car,
the Superb marries saloon and hatchback, with its Twindoor system offering a
choice of opening a tailgate or much smaller boot lid. This may be great for
marketing messages but adds cost, complexity and, probably, weight - all
things that should be anathema to carmakers. The efforts to create the
system may be responsible for the car's bland rear-end styling.
By definition, the new Superb takes over from the “old” Superb, which was OK
in its way but was really just an elongated, renamed VW Passat. The new car
has its own Czech identity and its interior, particularly in Elegance
(another immodest name) trim level with woody touches, leather and high
equipment specification, gives it an almost premium ambience. This luxury is
complemented by excellent ride quality over most surfaces.
Although Heiki plainly believed that the place for a Superb owner was lolling
on the back seat, I eventually managed to wrest the steering wheel from her.
The car's handling is fine but not sporty and steering feel is unmemorable.
The most superb of Superbs in terms of performance is the 3.6-litre V6 FSI
that gets to 62mph in a growling 6.6sec and has four-wheel drive as
standard.
The big sellers will be the 2.0-litre diesels with 138bhp or, fitted with
common rail technology, 168bhp. Both perform well, with plenty of torque,
but for those who want to make the most of luxury, space, performance and
goodies at a competitive price, the lower-powered car can deliver 0-62mph in
10.2sec and combined fuel consumption of 48mpg. The more powerful engine
gives a useful performance edge, though, at 8.8sec to 62mph while the CO2
figures are worse by a mere 4 g/km at 159. Fuel consumption is only
fractionally higher, too.
Depending on trim level, standard or optional equipment is comprehensive and
includes intelligent lighting with city and motorway functions and automatic
park assist.
A planet-friendly 1.9-litre diesel Superb GreenLine will also be available.
Its enhanced aerodynamics, lower weight (no spare wheel, just a repair kit)
and higher gearing help it to average 55 mpg, with CO2 emissions down to 136
g/km. Those savings would make a meaningful contribution to a cleaner
environment.
I am the passenger
Reasons to be driven
Chauffeur can programme SatNav
Allows the word “Breathalyser” to be removed from your vocabulary
Always has mints you can munch
Reasons not to be driven
Chauffeur won't let you drive a car - like the Skoda Superb
Is a better navigator than you
You have to share your mints
Specification
Engine Two-litre turbo-diesel for 168bhp through six-speed manual
gearbox
Performance 0-62mph, 8.8sec; top speed, 137mph
Fuel consumption 47 miles to gallon
CO2 emissions 159 g/km
Price Not finalised; range starts at about £15,500
On sale September
Kara Swart asks: "Let me know when Skoda designs a kick ass bicycle."
Skoda started with bicycles and still produces them, at least for the German market. Very sophisticated they are too.
John, London, UK
Heike Hebsacker- sounds like the next Bond girl.
Did you have a look at the oil prices lately? Let me know when Skoda designs a kick ass bicycle.
Kara Swart, London, UK
I kind of like this car. Why would one consider the Citroen C5 or the Peugeot 407, or even the Passat or the new Passat CC, when one could have this. The only car I would rather have than this, at this price level, might be...no, there isn't one. It's distinctive and luxurious - a perfect car.
ed, bradford,
But you failed to mention the clever rear opening ? Press one button on the plip and it opens like a boot for when you're taking the groceries home. Press the other button and the boot lid and rear window rise together as a hatchback for when you're buying furniture..
Superb - and very clever !
Brian, Rugby, UK