The new Skoda Superb 1.8 TSI diesel is responsive, it?s comfortable and it?s fun to drive. It?s responsive because of the brilliant diesel turbocharged engine: 160 frantic horses at your disposal. It?s comfortable because it has big cabin space and very supportive seats. It?s fun to drive because six gears can change your life. Only, if you are driving!
It?s affordable too?the last but the most important attribute of this new beast on the block. Skoda has gone all out with the new Superb to make you feel you are buying a Rs 40-lakh car for nearly half the price (nearly Rs 22 lakh). The all-new sedan also sports a more radical design compared to the earlier model?which was conservative with simple lines and traditional proportions. Its new dimensions are unconventional with a lot of edgy details, making it a design that?s difficult to immediately relate to.
But what I really would like to talk about is the engine. The turbocharged TSI engine (Turbo Stratified Injection: an award winning Volkswagen innovation) is a dream, enabling the Superb to accelerate in a shrewd way. Step on the gas and after a microscopic lag, the car gathers speed smoothly and very quietly. For a diesel-charged car, it?s really bliss. The aggressiveness is cloaked and quite deceptive? in short, irritating! I always thought I was going slow!
The attractive-looking ?wraparound? headlamps grab your attention first. They have a sharp edge and upward sweep to them and there are cuts and details on the nose section that look very attractive. The skinning of the body is tight, and the chrome detailing practically everywhere gives the car an upmarket look. However, the Superb?s silhouette is where it all goes a bit wonky. The stubby nose, upright cabin and large rear overhang don?t gel perfectly, and the proportions tend to look odd at certain angles.
The new Superb?s wheelbase is shorter than the earlier model?being built on an extended VW Passat floorpan stretched to 2761mm (shorter than the Accord?s wheelbase and overall length).
The new Superb also shares its lineage and platform with both the current VW Passat as well as the Laura, but has its own unique bits and pieces.
The quality and shape of the steering wheel is exceptional, it?s really comfortable to hold and the chrome ?smile? and Skoda badge make it look special. The hooded circular dials look terrific, the air con is easy and intuitive to use, and the puddle lights inside the cabin add to the luxurious feel. Even the quality of the ?wood? and manner in which small knobs have chrome piping is impressive.
Other salient features of the new Superb include a central touch screen that controls everything from the radio and in-dash CD changer to the phone and navigation system.
The front seats are ample, very supportive and electrically adjustable. With acres of legroom and full-sized seats, you are unlikely to find more comfortable seating anywhere in this class. With seat memory and electric lumbar support, finding your ideal driving position is easy. But, if you really want to be comfortable, there?s no place like the rear. There?s enough legroom here for a pro basketball player.
Conventional thinking would state that a car, weighing almost 1.5-tonne, would need more than 1800cc of engine capacity to propel it. But Skoda (and the VW Group) have moved past convention. For starters, the 1.8 motor uses direct petrol injection and a turbo-charger to augment power, with max power rated at 160bhp. Turbo-charged direct-injected motors also produce more torque than normally aspirated ones; and makes a massive 25.5kgm from just 1500rpm on, really low down for a petrol motor.