There was a time when Skoda was just given the cast-offs, the engines that were in the final years of production, while Audi and VW got the shiny new technology.
That’s not the case any longer, with the Superb getting petrol engines like the excellent downsized 124bhp 1.4 and even a monster 2.0-litre turbo with 276bhp, four-wheel drive and a dual-clutch DSG gearbox.
In-between those extremes, petrol folk get to choose between a 148bhp version of the 1.4-litre TSI unit and a DSG-only 218bhp 2.0-litre TSI variant.
Go diesel and you’re looking at 148bhp and 187bhp 2.0-litre TDI engines with six-speed manual or DSG boxes. Both of these engines are also available with all-wheel drive options.
Dealers will also take orders for a super-frugal 118bhp 1.6-litre GreenLine version emitting just 96g/km of CO2. A plug-in hybrid like the VW Passat GTE is also on the cards.
Expect to pay from around £18,500 if you want your Superb in saloon form – or around £20,000 if you want to order the car as an estate. Diesel power requires a premium of around £1,500 over the petrol.
As for trim, even the base Superb S models get a decent run at the equipment list. Here you’ll find alloy wheels, air-conditioning, LED rear lights, digital radio and a touchscreen infotainment system.
Skoda has forged its modern-day reputation on building quality cars that aren’t expensive to run.
Here’s another one. The new-generation MQB platform it’s based upon makes this car up to 75kg – about the weight of an average adult – lighter than it was before and that, along with the Volkswagen Group’s latest Euro6 engine technology, has led to improvements of up to 20% when it comes to efficiency.
As a result, this Superb shouldn’t really cost much more than its smaller Octavia stablemate to run. As before, there’s an ‘Energy Recovery’ set-up to reclaim energy that would otherwise be lost under braking or during cruising. And the usual start/stop system to cut the engine when you don’t need it, stuck at the lights or waiting in traffic. Plus the driver can do his or her bit by keeping an eye on the gearshift indicator on the dash.
All these things of course aid the returns you’ll get from the line-up’s efficiency poster child – the ‘GreenLine’ version of the entry-level 1.6 TDI diesel.
Here, you also get low rolling resistance tyres and special aerodynamic parts, with the result that the normal returns you’d get from this engine – 68.9mpg on the combined cycle and 108g/km – are improved to 76.4mpg and 95g/km.
As for the 2.0-litre TDI diesel that most customers choose, well, whichever guise you select it in – 148 or 187bhp – a manual variant will manage 68.9mpg and around 108g/km of CO2.
The Skoda Superb looks the part, making it ever easier to convince those whose car views are at least a decade out of date that a Skoda deserves a place on your shortlist if you’re in the market for a medium-ranger.
Compared to a Mondeo or a Mazda6, a Superb represents a very different take on the theme. The Mazda is a pin-sharp drive, the Mondeo tries to blend size and sprightliness, but the Superb makes no real pretence at sportiness, instead offering a reassuring heft and vault-like build quality.
Above all, the Superb delivers space, and that’s a quality you can never really have too much of in this corner of the market. Why? Because it’s the one attribute where mainstream marques can land a blow on the premium badges.
A BMW 3 Series or a Jaguar XE is never going to be able to offer as much space inside as a Skoda Superb. It’s just not remotely viable, so for those who need something cut from more generous cloth, give the Skoda the once over. It’s slick, presentable and, yes, simply clever.
THE FACTS
Model: Skoda Superb
Price: From £18,500
Engine: 2.0-litre TDI producing 187bhp
Performance: 0-62mph in 7 seconds, top speed 151mph
Economy: 45.6mpg
CO2 rating: 143g/km