The spacious new Skoda Superb feels unique, handles neatly and is brilliant family transport, as Kyle Fortunediscovers.
DRIVING THE new Superb, I reckon Skoda might have taken its official car supplier sponsorship to the Tour de France a bit too seriously.
Always famed for its Mercedes S-Class-rivalling rear legroom, the new Superb has enough space in the back for not just a couple of bike mechanics; you could get an entire bike shop in there. That's before you take into consideration the boot, which is so cavernous, I'd recommend potholing gear if you're planning on finding its bottom.
So it's big - the old Superb was too.
Though the new car doesn't feel like a quickly lashed-together VW parts special - the old Superb was basically a long-wheelbase Volkswagen Passat. The new Superb looks and feels unique.
Actually, the looks aren't that unique, as it's rather forgettable, which could be something of a mistake when its key rivals - cars such as the Ford Mondeo, new Opel Insignia, Citroën C5 and Renault Laguna - all major on neat, distinctive good looks.
There are hints of Skoda's engineering wizardry though: the Superb is the first car to mix hatchback and saloon in one. The firm calls its unique boot door a "Twindoor" - it enables you to open the vast boot like a saloon, or press another button, and it's a hatchback.
This is undeniably clever, but perhaps a solution to a question nobody really asked.
Old quirks like the umbrella in the door remain, Skoda also aiming to attract customers with a high standard specification.
It drives well too, riding with composure, handling neatly and offering decent refinement - so long as you go for the punchy 170bhp, 6.0l/100km common-rail diesels over the older, less quiet, lower power and no more economical Pumpe Duse turbodiesels.
The petrol-engine range impresses too, the turbocharged 1.4- and 1.8-litre TSI units delivering decent performance and economy; certainly good enough to forget the range-topping 3.6-litre V6 petrol. Four-wheel drive is offered on some models, but unless you're on a Tour de France mountain stage hit by a freak snow shower, it's pointless for the Irish market.
With its new Superb, Skoda really has covered all bases. And the Czech firm has let it slip that its new Superb will be joined by an estate model.
Expect the boot to be so vast it'll span different time-zones. A great, big, good value car, Skoda's new Superb might not look particularly exciting, but it's brilliant family transport.
FAXCTFILE
Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI CR
Price to be announced.
Turbocharged four-cylinder, inline diesel engine.
Peak power: 170bhp @ 4,200rpm
Peak torque: 350Nm @ 1,750-2,500rpm
Six-speed manual front-wheel-drive.
0-100km/h: 8.8 seconds
Top speed: 222km/h 159g/km CO2 6.0 litres/100km
Skoda Superb 1.8 TSI
Price to be announced
Turbocharged four-cylinder, inline petrol engine
Peak power: 160bhp @ 5,000-6,200rpm
Peak torque: 250Nm @ 1,500-4,200rpm
Six-speed manual (six-speed DSG automatic).
0-100lm/h: 8.6 (8.5) seconds
Top speed: 220 (220) km/h 180 (195)g/km CO2 7.6 (8.2) litres/100km