Road Test - Skoda Superb 1.4TSI SE L Executive (New March 2016)

Introduction
This is the third incarnation of the 'modern' Superb, and the third that I have owned. While the first looked suspiciously like a stretched previous-generation VW Passat, and the second could not have been described as classically beautiful, the sculpted lines of this one at last allows it to stand with pride alongside the 'premium' German competition. But looks aren't everything. Does it deliver the goods? The Superb has always been a very roomy car, and this one is no exception. Passengers travel in comfort, and four of them can each get a good-sized suitcase in the boot, with room to spare for hand luggage. As a result, the Superb fills supermarket parking bays with nothing to spare.

Mechanical
Of the three Superbs that I have owned, the first was the most refined, having a virtually silent 2.8 litre V6 engine matched with an automatic gearbox. The second had the 2.0 TDI engine, manual with 4WD, much more economical but with an easily audible engine. Having sampled the 1.4 TSI 140 PS engine in an Octavia estate and liked it very much, I opted for the newer (150 PS) version for this Superb. Compared with the Octavia, it feels slightly less flexible, possibly due to the Superb's weight and the slightly higher gearing. Comparing the speedometer and tachometer in the two cars, the Octavia managed about 27 mph/1000 rpm in top gear, the Superb 30. In practice the Superb copes easily with every demand I make on it, and will cruise easily at motorway speeds as happily as dicing with town traffic.

Refinement
I noticed the sound suppression in this Superb as soon as I test-drove one. Engine and transmission are virtually silent unless rapid acceleration is called for, but even then everything is muted. When the stop/start fuel-saving system operates, the engine restarting can be difficult to detect, and there is almost no vibration at any time.
Road noise is also well suppressed, but still present (on 18 inch Pegasus alloys); think of the purr of well-lubricated ball bearings. Wind noise is low in most conditions. Suspension bump-thump is also suppressed, but Britain's potholed roads do intrude into the cabin.

Fuel Consumption
The advantages of a smaller, turbocharged engine are evident in this Superb. While relatively light town traffic forces the mpg figure down to 40, a recent 330 mile trip mainly on motorways saw this rise to 46. As a comparison, for me the Octavia estate with the slightly less powerful 1.4 TSI managed 2 more in town, 1 less on the motorway. Surprisingly, the 2.0 TDI 4WD 2012 Superb matched the Octavia. Despite having happily owned 6 diesel cars, as far as I am concerned, in this case the extra cost of a (2.0 TDI) diesel engine would have had little benefit, made more noise, (but possible had better long-term reliability without the more complicated ignition system). Light throttle openings causes the engine to change into '2 cylinder mode' - or at least the dashboard display says so. There is no dicernible difference in noise or smoothness. Whether the intended saving of fuel is made, I have no idea.

Comfort
Electrical adjustments abound for the driver's seat, so most people ought to find a satisfactory setting. Passengers should have little to complain about too. Linking the 2 remote keys to seat memories make things easier for 2 drivers, and there is a third memory for guests.
Dual zone climate control keeps the cabin a pleasant place to inhabit.
A self-supporting bonnet is a nice touch, and the hatchback has a powered system for raising and lowering. The enormous boot has a lip, but is well stocked with hooks to hang bags, and a removable rechargeable torch which doubles as the boot light. Releasing the rear seat is very easy.
I have a rear wiper fitted (available as a no-cost option) - some drivers prefer to leave it off to add to the attractiveness of the car. I like to see out of the rear

Driving
I have now covered 1400 easy miles. Getting used to the width of the Superb, after the Octavia, took a short time. A previous Passat had an automatic parking brake, so that didn't provoke any acclimatisation problems; indeed the one in the Superb works automatically, effectively and unobtrusively and it's only rarely now that I absent-mindedly grope for the missing handbrake when parking.
The computer displays its recommended gear for the best economy, and it soon becomes apparent that 1200-1500 rpm keeps the computer happy. Cruising around town 5th gear is possible, from 40 mph the car is quite happy to dawdle in 6th and gently accelerate. If forced to join a fast road from a relatively slow speed, 3rd will swiftly allow merging with the other traffic. The gearbox is a delight to use.
'Normal' mode has suited me perfectly - 'Eco' I consider dangerous as it limits acceleration and could rob the driver of performance just when it is needed. Performance in Normal is sufficient for me so I have not tried 'Sport'.
One new feature on this model is the Adaptive Cruise Control, which uses a sensor in the centre of the radiator grille to detect traffic immediately in front. On a long motorway trip the adaptive cruise control avoids cramp in my accelerator foot (which plagues me on long runs), and is clever enough to know if a car pulling into my middle lane from the inside lane is going slower than me, prompting action to slow me down, or if an overtaking car from the fast lane pulling into my lane in front of me is going faster than me and no action is needed. It was caught out once, though. On a fast dual carriageway, we were all chugging along at 70 mph when the driver in front of me decided to pull off into a layby, indicated and braked. I didn’t need to do anything because I knew what he was doing and he would be well out of my way; I just hovered over the brake in case he changed his mind and pulled back on to the carriageway. The cruise control saw a car slowing quickly in front (even though it was edging off to the left), gave a girlish squeal and braked firmly. Luckily I was startled enough to kick the accelerator before the Range Rover behind modified my boot. It doesn’t bode well for the driverless car!
Handling and ride are very good, without tempting the enthusiastic driver. Steering, clutch and brakes are well-weighted and I would be surprised if any driver found himself in serious trouble without trying very hard to exceed the car's capabilities. The car feels lighter than its size would suggest.

Audio/Navigation
Previous experience with the Canton speaker system led me to specify it again, and it doesn't disappoint in its rendition of music to my (classical) taste. The Columbus unit provides me with a choice of DAB or FM radio, but I mainly use MP3 files on an SD card held in the glove compartment.
Maps for the navigation system are stored on internal memory. So far I have had little chance to test its operation, but have changed the options to simply offer the quickest route instead of a choice of three, which I find distracting.
It only needs one neat black antenna on the rear centre of the roof for all its functions.

Conclusion
If you need a quiet comfortable large hatchback, the Superb could be the one you need. Skodas are no longer a bargain-basement option; their success has prompted prices to rise closer to the more vaunted names in the VAG stable, and discount offers less frequent. However, savings are very likely comparing the Superb with the VW and Audi equivalents, and it bears comparison very well.

***Update
After nearly 4 months, the overall fuel consumption is 42 mpg. There have been no faults, but I notice that potholes seem to intrude more than when the car was new. I also couldn't find a way to close the electric hatchback remotely (health and safety again?), and had no luck poring over the handbook. Blogs showed me that I was not alone, and some owners were re-programming buttons on the centre console and/or on the remote key fob to enable the hatch to be closed without using buttons on the lid. It is even possible to lock the car and walk away leaving the hatch open - not a clever bit of logic programming. Skoda ought to offer owners a modification.
It's still a very nice car to drive, and I'm appreciating the adaptive cruise control more and more.