High on the highway: Ride quality is the new Skoda Superb’s forte as it smoothes out poor roads and muffles tyre and suspension noise Photographs by author

When Skoda launched the Superb, it was a killer bargain as it offered luxury at a discount price. In India, the Superb was a slow-starter. Initially, it only came with a petrol engine, though a diesel V6 option was later added which improved sales. However, it never managed to challenge the segment leader, the Honda Accord, in spite of its diesel advantage.

Under the hood

The new Superb featured here will soon be available in India and it’s something to look forward to. The car combines suspension and floorpan parts from the VW Passat and Skoda Octavia. It is 35mm longer than its generously proportioned predecessor, but 42mm shorter in wheelbase because the engine now follows the Passat’s transverse layout.

But in spite of the shorter wheelbase, rear legroom is now 19mm longer and unrivalled in its class. Engine options are from the VW Group range. The best part is the new 2.0-litre, common-rail turbodiesel churning out 172bhp which we’ve driven here.

It’s available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed twin clutch paddle shift gearbox. Skoda has chosen to borrow its first common-rail engine from VW because it’s quieter and meets the impending Euro 5 emissions standards. Other less powerful engines can be had with a new seven-speed DSG gearbox, but it has a limited torque capacity.

Driver’s deal

The Superb is big but on the road it shrinks around you. It has that long-lasting feel associated with German-built cars. But there is a pleasantly independent quality to the interior design and is considerably higher-spec than other VW-Audi family members.

All Superb variants get nine airbags and some get a unique adaptive headlight system (AFS) which changes the shape of the forward beam according to conditions. The controls are light and accurate but the steering lacks the accuracy of, say, an Audi or even a VW Passat. The area it scores in is comfort. Road and wind noise are kept low even at a 160kph cruise. The 172bhp is inaudible in spite of a notably sporty sound as it accelerates from 0-100kph in a scant 8.8 seconds.

Ride quality is the Superb’s forte. Skoda has given the car impressive suppleness without making it lurch or roll. It smoothes out poor road surfaces at low speeds and muffles tyre and suspension noise better than many more expensive cars.

We drove this car on Czech road which are not as bad as those in India, but you do get a lot of bitumen potholes, lots of strangely varying cambers (the way in which a road slopes from its centre) and rough railway crossings.

The Superb absorbs these irregularities with aplomb without even a hint of complaint. This should make it ideal for Indian road conditions that we see every day. It is noticeably more supple than the Audi A4 and the VW Passat, which are able to cope with Indian roads. So the Superb should do better than both as long as Skoda does not stiffen the suspension too much when it is raised for Indian conditions.

Final verdict

The new Superb is bigger than the older version which was a big car in its own right, so it might not be a good idea to throw it around in traffic between other city cars which are more than a metre shorter.

In India, a Superb would be best driven to enjoy the quietness and ride quality in the city and giving the car its head out of town, knowing that it can easily cope with bumps and difficult cambers at high speeds too.

Skoda will offer the new Superb in three spec levels — S, SE and Elegance. Skoda wants to assert itself as a luxury brand in India so the top-spec version will be here along with more basic spec versions. For those who want a good-value big car, Skoda showrooms should be a must-visit before making a decision as soon as the car is on sale in India. The big Superb is one car that lives up to its name.

spec check

Skoda Superb

• Engine: 4 cylinders common-rail turbodiesel, 1968cc
• Layout: Transverse, front-wheel drive
• Power: 172bhp at 4200rpm
• Torque: 35.66kgm at 1800-2500rpm
• Kerb weight: 1498kg
• Tyres: 225/45 R17
• Boot: 565/1670 litres
• 0-100kph: 8.8sec
• Top speed: 220kph