Like the venerable Holden Commodore before it, the Skoda Superb is a rather good car that has one particular annoyance simply because it is most commonly seen on our roads as a police car; almost everyone you drive behind slows down to just under the speed limit. Every damn time.
Perhaps this is why Skoda NZ have decided to bring the newly facelifted Superb TSI to New Zealand in what can only be described as “police-spec plus”.
You see, the TSI packs the same 195kW/400Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol/7-speed DSG/AWD powertrain as police Superbs do, but adds a layer of luxury the rozzers aren’t afforded.
This means you not only get a beautifully appointed, highly-equipped AWD European wagon, you also get more than enough power to effortlessly blast past those dawdlers who lack the basic observation skills to see that you don’t have the telltale flashy lights behind the grille and spindly mid-roof aerial up top…
The Superb will scamper to 100km/h from a standing start in 5.7 seconds and consume fuel at a (combined 3P-WLTP) rate of 8.2l/100km, although not at the same time.
As the Superb’s $74,990 list price indicates, it is packed to the gills with standard equipment; basically everything Skoda can offer is already optioned as standard here, so no choices to be made.
Standard kit includes some pretty premium gear, like heated and ventilated leather massage seats, heated door mirrors, LED headlights and ambient interior lighting, AGR-certified ergonomic seats, tri-zone climate control and18-inch alloy wheels.
The interior is impressively high quality, even by typical VW Group standards, with excellent quality soft touch materials throughout and lots of the ‘Simply Clever’ touches Skoda is renowned for, like the inclusion of a handy little microfibre cleaning block to keep the touchscreen free of fingerprints, a tablet holder in the rear seat armrest and the umbrellas in the doors.
The Superb is almost hot hatch-like in its ability to make you think “I could have gone a bit harder there” regardless of how hard you actually went.
Of course, being a Superb means it is spectacularly roomy, with absolutely immense rear leg room and a cavernous cargo space, with 690 litres available with the rear seats up and 1920 litres with them folded down. Who needs an SUV, huh?
Actually, who wants an SUV is more like it, as the Superb may pack SUV-like space and practicality, but it utterly shames any SUV when it comes to dynamics.
Yes, the Superb is an absolutely fantastic car to chuck into a corner, with sharp, accurate steering and a chassis that delights in getting the nose in and the power back down again in the most efficient way.
It helps that the AWD system feels the same way, and the Superb is simply welded to its line through a corner, with the power pouring on in a beautifully satisfying fashion as you head out the other side.
There’s no drama and a beautiful feel of utter balance both in and out of corners, and the Superb is almost hot hatch-like in its ability to make you think “I could have gone a bit harder there” regardless of how hard you actually went.
It's a wagon, which has been scientifically proven to make a car 93 percent better.
But here’s the kicker; as good as the Superb handles, its ride quality never suffers as a result. Never anything other than supple and composed, the Superb’s ride irons out small imperfections and disregards larger ones in a way that is, well, absolutely superb. Sorry.
The ride has a fantastically compliant waftiness to it that you usually only really see in cars with soft suspension and, by definition, less than dynamic handling, making it both impressively comfortable and satisfyingly agile.
I mean, if you're going to jail, it certainly is a brilliantly roomy and comfortable way to go…
How much is the Skoda Superb wagon?
The Superb wagon we test here lands in New Zealand at $74,990, with a healthy level of standard equipment to match. There is also a Sportline version that adds dynamic chassis control, LED matrix headlights, acoustic glass, a gruntier audio system and bigger 19-inch alloys for $83,990.
What are the key statistics for the Skoda Superb wagon?
The Superb is powered by a 195kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder engine driving all four wheels via a seven-speed DSG transmission and will sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds.
Is the Skoda Superb wagon efficient?
Skoda claims a WLTP average fuel consumption of 8.1l/100km for the Superb wagon and that was pretty much exactly what we saw during our time with it.
Is the Skoda Superb wagon good to drive?
While $74k for a car isn't exactly 'cheap', you would be hard-pressed to find anything else similar that offers the same blend of performance and supreme comfort that the Superb does.
Is the Skoda Superb wagon practical?
It's a Skoda Superb wagon so, yes of course it is. Peerless rear leg room and an immense boot are complimented by so many clever storage spaces around the cabin it is almost ridiculous.
What do we like about the Skoda Superb wagon?
It looks great, is remarkably comfortable, incredibly well-equipped and just so damn capable on the road. Oh, and it's a wagon, which has been scientifically proven to make a car 93 percent better.
What don’t we like about the Skoda Superb wagon?
Constantly being held up by people slowing to 90km/h because they think you are a member of the constabulary. And the aerodynamic plastic inserts in the alloy wheels are naff.
What kind of person would the Skoda Superb wagon suit?
Anyone who is in the market for a slick, quick, comfortable car with huge amounts of interior space and really hates SUV. Or rightfully loves wagons. And the police.
