Superb Trouper Feeling Like a Number One

What we like:

Ride comfort

Well kitted out where it really matters

Handles well

Responsive engine and transmission

Cargo room

Full-sized spare

What we dislike:

Rear seats do not fold flush

Brand stigma

The Superb benefits from the very same 2.0 turbocharged engine mounted in east-west fashion, and in the same tune that powers the Volkswagen Passat in Exclusiveline trim. Good for 217bhp, and a generous splash of 350Nm of torque between a band of 1,500rpm to 4,400rpm. Coupled to a 6-speed dual clutch automatic (DSG) transmission, and driving the front wheels, the Superb accelerates to 100km/h in quite an impressive 7 seconds, while gear changes come across as seamless.

There is also a comprehensive selection of drive modes, from “Economy”, “Comfort” which is our favourite, “Normal”, “Sports” and “Individual” which allows you to customise how you want to set the car up.

Our top of the range Skoda is also their first to be fitted with Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC), which is an adaptive suspension system. The system is able to firm up the suspension of the car when you flick it into “Sports” mode, and it also monitors how the car reacts over surfaces, and makes necessary adjustments to ensure a well planted ride. The Superb feels pretty balanced, without “overdoing” the firmness, ensuring that passengers experience the lest of jolts from the road surface; while cornering comes across as “sports car” sharp.

Select “Comfort” and the system relaxes, and constantly adapts to deliver a pillow-soft ride, but stiffens up just enough to tackle tighter cornering, without too much compromise on comfort.

For those who enjoy the merits of saving a few pennies, Economy mode allows the car to coast on most gears, when the accelerator is released; similar to clutching in a manual car, while on the run. With the system identifying when the car takes a bend or when the brakes are depressed, the transmission will slip back into gear. Depressing the accelerator will have the transmission to slot itself into the most ideal ratio, in relation to the car’s land speed.

Parking the large car is not difficult at all, thanks to the good all-round visibility the Superb offers. As a plus our test car is also equipped with Park Assist, which helps drivers to automatically park the car.

In addition to some pretty good insulation, the Superb also features five acoustic filters, which does the work of helping to cancel off noise from the engine bay and exhaust, in order to reduce what is perceived to enter the cabin. Rev the car harder though, and all that negative audio trickery is not able to hide the engine note as it penetrates through the firewall.

What we love about the Superb, is really how Skoda had brought out the best in its ride refinement with their range-topping Laurin & Klement, which to our pleasant surprise is able to rival the ride quality of equally sized Executive Sedans. As for what it is, we were also seriously impressed with what the Superb brings to the large family sedan table, by offering up Executive Sedan-rivalling levels of equipment. The Superb also comes across as unpretentious about what it is built to be, and it shows in how the Czechs have put in attention to just the right bits of kit, to where it matters the most.

At a shade below $156k*, the range-topping Superb might come across as rather expensive, when compared to its Japanese counterparts, but for the sheer space, versatility and good looks, they have even beaten their Passat cousin in the pricing game, and in terms of performance and refinement, the Superb is quite easily hard to beat in its class.

The entry Ambition and middle Ambition Plus models on the other hand are a lot more affordable, and they still feature the very same potent 2.0 turbocharged engine.

*Accurate as at 24 September 2018

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