Car review: two thousand fifteen Skoda Superb Estate Two.0 TDi one hundred ninety 4×4 Laurin & Klement
Big space and big value in the estate version of Skoda’s bargain limo
2015 Skoda Superb Estate Two.0 TDi one hundred ninety 4×4 Laurin & Klement
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- 09:00, twenty JUL 2015
- Updated Ten:Legal, twenty one JUL 2015
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Skoda execs like the old Superb, but even they will admit that good looks were never high up on the car’s agenda.
They’ve made it up to the fresh Superb to some extent by endowing it with some acute lines and a rather more modern look, but the key points for the thickest Skoda are always going to be the same: practicality and space at an accessible price.
The wagon version of the Superb fits the bill, boasting a massive six hundred sixty litres of boot space with the rear seats up. That tops the Mercedes-Benz E-Class estate. Even basketball players won’t have cause to criticise the amount of cabin space and convenience front or back.
Value is another Skoda plus, but the cabin of the SE L version shows no sign of skimping. It offers a powered tailgate, leather upholstery, sat-nav, rear parking sensors, electrically adjustable front seats and total 8.0in touchscreen – all for £3620 than you’d be paying for the Laurin & Klement range-topper.
We attempted an L&K spec car, but tho’ it has adaptive dampers (an option on all other trim levels) the suspension damping seems a little on the filthy side, permitting a fair amount of bod float even in Sport mode. We understand that the Convenience mode settings will be switched in cars built from late summer onwards.
Still, the Superb doesn’t dissuade vigorous driving. In our 187bhp Two.0 TDI, the only engine you can get if you want the DSG automatic gearbox and Haldex four-wheel drive system, the treating isn’t dissimilar to regular front-wheel drive in dry conditions, albeit keeping understeer at bay for a bit longer. We know from other cars how good this latest Haldex system is and feel that it will give the Superb a certain capability to tackle British winters.
It’s just a pity this setup isn’t available with other engines because this Two.0 TDi isn’t the world’s smoothest diesel. That said, most rivals are in the same boat when it comes to refinement. The Skoda unit is however very good at wafting along on torque. It’s a wise match with the DSG gearbox which instinctively knows the best gearshifting points, and it does that sleekly, providing relaxed progress. Sport mode seems best, as it reduces the tendency for odd random downshifts. Or you can hustle along fairly effectively with the steering wheel paddles.
Clever features are another Superb trait. You can drop the sprung rear seatbacks or the boot floor even if you’ve only got one palm free, a common occurrence when out shopping with kids.
The Superb Estate is good value for space-hungry families, but we’d avoid the L&K model as that’s up around BMW five Series price levels (however it does have rather more equipment than the BMW). Depreciation on that model would be fairly vertiginous too.
A top-end Ford Mondeo would be a better head choice if you want driving joy as well as practicality, but be in no doubt about the unique appeal of the 4WD Skoda’s all-round capability and hangar-sized interior.
2015 Skoda Superb Estate Two.0 TDi one hundred ninety 4×4 Laurin & Klement
Engine four cyls, 1968cc, turbodiesel
Power 187bhp at 3500-4000rpm
Torque 295lb ft at 1750-3250rpm
Gearbox 6-spd dual-clutch automatic