Skoda Superb lives up to name

Sep 9 2008 Chris Russon

A CAR which can transform from a saloon to a hatchback at the push of a button has been developed by Skoda.

The remarkable feature gives the Czech car maker a new flagship in a class of its own.

The latest Skoda Superb goes on sale on September 18 and comes packed with equipment which outstrips any rival.

Top range Elegance models are fitted with a full-colour touchscreen sat nav and entertainment system as standard and are priced from £21,075.

The same 30-gig system is fitted to some of Skoda?s parent company VW?s models as a £2,000-plus extra ? such is the competitive nature of the new Superb.

It will go against the likes of the Ford Mondeo, Citroen C5 and Renault Laguna but pound for pound the Skoda is in the region of £4,000 cheaper than the rest of the field.

It?s also a big car ? there?s more legroom in the back than in a BMW 7 Series or Lexus LS ? and comes with tried and tested engines from the VW stable. Optional park assist, which enables the car to park automatically in a roadside gap, is the icing on the cake.

Skoda?s brief was to create the most well equipped car in its class and with the Superb it?s job done.

The 11 model range is priced from £15,490 for an S trim Superb powered by a 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine which uses a combination of turbo boost and supercharging to develop an incredible 125bhp.

Crucially, the entry level 1.9-litre diesel version is priced from £15,950 ? the only diesel in its class to come in below £16,000.

As well as the Twindoor saloon/hatch boot system, all versions of the Superb include air conditioning, MP3 connections, seven airbags and ? more importantly from a safety point of view ? electronic stability controls.

The Twindoor set up was developed to create the best of both worlds in one car and was devised to enable the Superb to carry larger items when needed.

It works through an electronic catch on the boot lid which latches the rear window into the lifting mechanism.

In normal set up the Superb is configured as a saloon but the conversion to hatch takes only seconds giving the car luggage capacity ranging from 565 to 1,670 litres thanks to folding rear seats.

The Superb is based on the VW Passat platform but stretched to create greater legroom in the rear.

In addition to the 1.4-litre engine it is also offered with a 1.8-litre TSI engine and a 3.6-litre V6 mated to four-wheel-drive and a direct shift gearbox ? very similar although not quite as potent as the high performance Passat R36.

That version costs £26,675 (around £6,000 cheaper than the R36) while the Superb in diesel form is available with 140bhp and 170bhp two-litre engines as well as the 105bhp 1.9.

The 170bhp is also Skoda?s first common rail diesel and it can manage 0 to 60mph in 8.8 seconds with average fuel consumption of 47.1mpg and emissions of 153g/km. It costs from £19,930 in mid-range SE trim.

The greenest is the 1.9 diesel at 151g/km and 49.6mpg while the most economical petrol engine is the 1.4-litre petrol offering 41.5mpg on average and emissions of 157g/km.

The V6, which should be on sale before the end of the year, is said to average 28.2mpg but emissions are high at 235g/km.

On the road, the diesels are nicely composed, offer plenty of pulling power and the interior is well insulated from noise.

The DSG box is the latest generation clutchless manual from the Volkswagen group ? it?s also fitted to VW and Audi models - and it changes smoothly through its six gears. Seven speed versions are available on the 1.8-litre petrol engine.

In manual mode, although the changes are rapid, the gear lever itself is large and unaccommodating. Neither are there paddle shifters mounted behind the steering wheel which can compromise a sporty driving style.

Conventional five or six speed manual boxes are the best bets to get the most out of the Superb.

Externally its styling is quite conservative compared to the sharp lines of the Mondeo for example, but the Skoda is well built and has an appeal of its own.

Inside the trim is of an equally high standard and the layout of the dash much more contemporary than on the previous model.

The top range Elegance is pure class with full leather upholstery creating a limousine feel.

With heated front seats, adaptive bi-xenon headlamps, tyre pressure monitors and a Bluetooth phone system in addition to the impressive sat nav system this version really lives up to the Superb name.

At the moment there is no other large car on the market which can match the Superb for roominess, technology and equipment at such prices.