Skoda Superb Review (2021) | Coach Car News

Of all the Volkswagen Group eccentrics nurtured under the Skoda badge, the Superb is surely one of the most intriguing.

Originally the product of VW’s mania for economies of scale (the automaker having already produced an elongated version of the Passat for China), Skoda’s modern flagship sedan landed in 2001, offering ample legroom. back for not a lot of money. Although this is a decidedly old-fashioned four-door (engines have gone far and plans for an estate have been scrapped), it struck a chord.

The second-generation Superb, launched in 2008, went much further. With a roomy wagon, the regular model received what Skoda dubbed the “Twindoor,” a tailgate that could be opened like a sedan-style boot or a full tailgate, making it a baggage handler as prodigious as the knees. and feet. Honors followed, bolstered by the decision to add a long list of additional options to the Superb’s already generous kit list in higher trim levels.

Skoda cemented this approach with the most recent version, which was introduced in 2015. Where it was previously recognizable as a flagship for its unmistakable size, the latest, better-suited Superb is now destined to fulfill the role of style, its angular and sleek looks slightly refreshed in 2019 in an effort to create a closer family bond with the brand’s best-selling Kodiaq and Karoq SUVs

For our test, it is the cavernous estate version that occupies an important place in our sights, offering a maximum trunk volume of almost 2000 liters, which makes the family variants of everything from the BMW 5 Series to the Ford Mondeo which will soon die.

The hatchback starts at just over £ 25,000, with the estate incurring a premium of £ 1,280, an increasingly attractive price point in an ever-shrinking pool of large family cars from mainstream brands.

Our test car is a 148 hp 2.0 TDI in SE specification, the entry point to a four-vehicle range and fitted with the oil burner which is likely to prove to be the most popular choice in the forms of hatch and estate despite the recent decline in diesel sales.