You would like to buy a spacious limousine, but have less than $45,000 in your motoring budget. Until this week you were hopelessly out of luck, now the 2009 Skoda Superb has just made your dream come true.
This latest import from the Czech car maker has more legroom in the back seat than the long-wheelbase BMW 7 Series we have been road testing this week, and that's saying something, because the big Bimmer is a spacious machine. Rear legroom in the Superb sees it catering for families with teenagers on the high side of two metres tall. Real estate agents and the like will also find the interior room a real boon.
The Superb will also suit hire-car operators with clients who aren’t particularly fussed about what sort of car delivers them to important meetings – if there is such a person... Because there’s the rub; while Skoda may have provided us with a car that's a pure limo in its dimensions, it's totally lacking in image or prestige. To some that may not matter, to others prestige is a vital part of their choice of car.
The big legroom in the new 2009 Skoda Superb is achieved in several ways; firstly, it's a long car, just a tad bigger than a Commodore of Falcon. Secondly, its transversely mounted engine takes up less length than a longitudinal powerplant, so the cabin can be moved further forward. Thirdly, the Skoda engineers raised the back seats to enable a more efficient seating angle. Headroom may be restricted for very tall people, though my 1.82-metre frame fits in with room to spare.
Though it's longer than the Aussie family sixes, Superb is only about the same width as a typical medium-sized car, so doesn’t have the interior width to carry three adults in the rear in comfort.
Superb’s boot is huge. Its total volume is 565 litres with the security screen in place, rising to 1670 litres when the split-fold rear seats are folded down completely. It's almost wagon-like in its carrying capacity. Then there's the fascinating way of accessing the load area. If you push one button it opens in a conventional manner like any other sedan. Press another button and instead of a bootlid you have a large opening hatch, with all that means in ease of loading bulky items.
Skoda Superb is sold with a choice of engines, all designed by Volkswagen: a turbo-petrol, 1.8-litre four-cylinder with 118 kW, a 2.0-litre, turbo-diesel producing 125 kW, and a V6 petrol unit displacing 3.6 litres and peaking at 191 kW. The latter engine gets a 4x4 drive system, the others drive through the front wheels. Transmission is by a six-speed DSG sequential manual in the turbo-diesel and petrol V6, but by seven-speed in the turbo-petrol four-cylinder.
Smooth, quiet running and limo-like comfort are strong features of the new Skoda Superb as we put it through its paces on a 250 km drive program organised by Skoda as part of the introduction of the vehicle to the motoring press. Harsh coarse-chip surfaces did create the usual increase in noise and vibration levels, but we have felt worse problems in other European cars.
Handling is excellent with a relatively neutral steering and plenty of ability to hold onto the road even at speeds well over these likely to be attempted by the driver of a large limousine. But you don’t expect to get a sports sedan in a vehicle of this type – keen drivers may not be overly impressed. At all times the big Skoda had the solid feel that’s such a trademark of all products from the Volkswagen Group.
Skoda Superb comes in two model grades: the well-equipped Ambition and upmarket Elegance. Recommended prices for the Superb begin at $42,990 for the Ambition with the 1.8-litre turbo-petrol engine, and peak at $56,990 for the Superb Elegance with the V6 engine and 4x4 transmission. Statutory and dealer delivery charges have to be added to these prices. Contact your Skoda dealer or www.skoda.com.au/ for drive away prices.
The full price list is:
Superb Ambition 1.8 TSI 118kW DSG: $42,990
Superb Ambition 2.0 TDI 125kW DSG: $45,990
Superb Elegance 1.8 TSI 118kW DSG: $45,990
Superb Elegance 2.0 TDI 125kW DSG: $48,990
Superb Elegance 4x4 V6 3.6 FSI 191kW DSG: $56,990
Note: All prices are recommended retail and do not include statutory and dealer charges. |
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