Punchy, smooth and very spacious

There comes a time in the world of ever-upsized cars when you reckon there’s simply no need for anything bigger, writes Ian Donaldson.

Or, in the case of the latest version of Skoda’s flagship Superb, anything better, for that matter.

We’ve had the Superb saloon on our roads for more than a year and it’s been a useful sales success for Skoda, helping to reinforce the Czech brand’s reputation for solid quality at a sensible price.

See more pics of the Skoda Superb estate in our gallery below.

From early next year the saloon is joined by the estate, the same length as the saloon but feeling so big inside it makes a mere Volvo V70 (the darling of the antiques trade for the size of its load bay) look, well, a tiny bit pokey.

And let’s not even contemplate the likes of Ford’s once gigantic feeling Mondeo estate or the Toyota Avensis either; neither of them, or the rest of the Skoda’s obvious competition on price, comes close in the space per pound sterling stakes.

It’s not as though the Superb has sacrificed any of the famed passenger-lounging room of the saloon as it metamorphosed into a load carrier; there’s still enough leg stretching room in the rear to make a Bentley owner blush.

Handsome

With prices likely to start at around £17,600 (about £1,300 more than an equivalent saloon) by the time the estate reaches the UK around February next year, the Superb estate won’t have quite the glamour and glitz of a Bentley at five times the price but you’d be hard put to criticise the way this handsome car is put together.

It must be increasingly difficult for the design teams in the VW Group (which includes Audi and Bentley, remember) to keep something like a new Skoda from seeming just a bit too smart, especially inside.

Indeed, choose a top Elegance version and you’ll be seated on leather and sit looking at fillets of wood that wouldn’t disgrace the dearest cars in the VW Group portfolio.

Pay extra and raid the options list and you can have a delightfully clear sat nav system, a rear hatch that raises and lowers itself, even a car that knows when it will fit a tight parallel parking space and steer itself in backwards (yes, really).

Street cred

But you won’t be buying the estate Superb for its… superb finish. Rather, you’re likely to be a company user and chooser who wants to maximise the amount of car he can afford on his monthly allowance while retaining some street cred at the same time.

Skodas have been utterly credible on the street (and elsewhere) for years now; the Superb Estate now gives a potential buyer no excuse for not taking a long look.

There will be three trim levels available, with every Superb Estate having air con, alloys and seven airbags.

 The likely most popular SE adds bigger wheels, cruise control, climate control, better sound system and mock suede (and very smart) upholstery.

Pick a top Elegance and you’ll enjoy still bigger wheels, brighter lights, full leather upholstery and heated front seats.

Punchy

Engine choice will likely mirror the current saloon, starting with an unlikely but potent 1.4 litre petrol and topping out with a bound-to-be rare 3.6 litre V6 petrol.

The likely most popular version, a 2.0 litre diesel with 140bhp proved a delight to drive; punchy and smooth and delivering a ride the right side of soft, not sporty.

Skoda has a big winner on its hands here.

By Ian Donaldson

BUMPER TO BUMPER

Car: Skoda Superb Estate 2.0 TDI

Price: £20,600 (approx)

Drivetrain: 2.0 litre 138 bhp diesel engine, 6-speed gearbox

Performance: Top speed 128mph 0-62mph 10.3 seconds

Economy: Euro average 46.3mpg CO2 160g/km road tax £150

Size: 4,838mm long 1,817mm wide

Insurance: TBC

Safety: EuroNCAP 5 stars for occupants (saloon tested)

Warranty: Three years or 60,000 miles

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